THE  LIBRARY 


OF 


THE 


OF 


LOS 


UNIVERSITY 
CALIFORNIA 
ANGELES 


THE 


NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE 


BEING  AN  ACCOUNT  OF 


THE   ]UITTLE   DIFFICULTY 


FAMILY   OF   UNCLE   SAM, 


BY 

TKUMAN   TRUMBULL,  A.  M. 


WM.  OLAND   BOURNE,   No.    12   CENTRE   STREET 

OFFICE  OF  THE   "SOLDIER'S  FKIEND  ;" 

THE   AMERICAN    NEWS   COMPANY, 

119  &  121  NASSAU   STREET. 
1868. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  18(>9, 
Uy  WM.  OLAND  BOURNE, 

In  the  Clerk's  Oflice  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of 
New  York. 


EnwABn  O.  JKNKINR, 

PRINTK1!  AND   STKKKOTrPiSR, 

No.  2(1  North  William  St, 


TO 


ON  SHIP  AND  SHOF^JE, 


ALL  WHO  LOVE  FREEDOM  AND  UNION, 


THESE  PAGES 


ARE    DEDICATED    BY 


THE   AUTHOR. 


PS 


PREFACE, 
g 

t/j  THE  author  of  this  volume  has  endeavored  to  give  a 

*"*        truthful  impression  of  the  Rebellion  as  it  appeared  to 


cc 

g        the  loyal  public. 


He  does  not  pretend  to  give  a  History  of  the  War, 

J         or  to  do  justice  to  any  one  of  the  thousand  noble  men 

who  volunteered  to  fight  the  monster-treason,  and  who, 

>         with  a  hearty  free  will,  dealt  out  sturdy  blows  until  it 

lay  writhing  in  its  death-throes.     He  hopes  that  he  has 

done  injustice  to  none  of  those  who  bore  fatigue,  and 

O       wounds,   and  insult,  imprisonment,  cold,  hunger,  and 

^       death,  in  order  that  Union  might  be  perpetual,  and 

S       Freedom  made  universal  wherever  the  national  emblem 

»       floats  in  the  sunshine  of  heaven. 

T.  T. 


462397 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

PAGE 

Jeft'  sings  Yankee  Doodle 13 

Floyd  makes  Fort  Sumter  handy 15 

Old  Jonathan  looks  at  the  weather , 16 

Beauregard  fires  on  the  Star  of  the  West 10 

Scott  comes  to  Washington  with  Mr.  Lincoln 17 

CHAPTER   n. 

Wigfall  makes  a  Speech 19 

The  Devil  comes  up 20 

Fort  Sumter  fired  on 20 

Major  Anderson  carries  Home  his  Flag 22 

CHAPTER   m. 

Scott  and  Abe  on  the  taking  of  Fort  Sumter 23 

Ahe  writes  to  Yankee  Doodle  23 

The  echo  of  Fort  Sumter's  guns 24 

The  Squad  arrives 24 

Major  Anderson  takes  the  Old  Flag  to  New  York 24 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Abe's  Letter  in  Dixie 26 

Jeff  heard  of  the  Reinforcement  of  Pickens 27 

Jeff  sends  for  Alexander  Stephens 30 

Jeff  writes  to  Old  Virginia,  who  sends  Mr.  Lee 32 

Who  Robert  Lee  is 32 

CHAPTER   V. 

The  Mayor  of  Wheeling  strikes  a  blow 35 

The  trouble  in  Missouri 36 

Booneville  Battle 38 

CHAPTER  VI. 

AVhat  Seward  said 40 

The  Mudsills  tread  the  Sacred  Soil 41 

Ellsworth's  Death 41 

Beauregard's  Proclamation 42 

Battle  of  Bull  Run 44 

Old  Jonathan  whistles  Yankee  Doodle 46 

Fremont  in  Missouri 46 

Battle  of  Wilson's  Creek 46 

(7) 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Rebels  Audit  their  Accounts 49 

Floyd  interrupts  their  Plans 50 

Mallory's  Dispatch 62 

Messages  from  Polk  and  Drayton 54 

Jeff  cured  by  the  Earl  of  Derby 55 

Jeff  enlists  the  Devil , 56 

Jeff  issues  Confederate  Notes 58 

John  Bull  and  the  Stone  Fleet 59 

CHAPTER   Vm. 

Abe's  Meditations 61 

Scott  Resigns 63 

Battle  of  Mill  Spring 65 

"  Little  Mac  "  in  Washington 65 

Jonathan  Scolds 65 

Abe  orders  a  Movement 66 

Banks  goes  out 68 

Burnside  turns  up  at  Roanoke 63 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Sambo's  Story 70 

CHAPTER   X. 

Jeff  sits  down  to  write  his  Inaugural 73 

Jeff  gets  News  from  Tighlman 73 

Jeff  gets  News  from  Fort  Donelson 74 

Jeff's  Inaugural 75 

Jeff  Dreams  of  Pea  Ridge 76 

Jeff  wakes  with  the  Booming  of  Guns  at  Island  No.  10 77 

CHAPTER   XI. 

The  Monitor  and  the  Mcrrimac 78 

CHAPTER   XH. 

Jonathan  takes  up  his  Fife 82 

Welles  has  a  Squadron  ready , 83 

Capture  of  New  Orleans 84 

CHAPTER   Xin. 

The  Rebels  in  New  Orleans  object  to  the  Flag 83 

Ben  Butler  arrives 89 

Jeff 's  Cabinet  meet 91 

CHAPTER   XTV. 

Mac  makes  a  Speech  to  his  Army  — 93 

Mac  goes  to  Manassas 93 

Ships  for  Yorktown 94 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Battle  of  Shiloh 96 

New  Madrid 97 

Memphis 97 

Jonathan  sends  Betsey  Jane  to  Washington 97 

Sanitary  and  Christian  Commissions 99 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Jonathan  is  worried . .  -. 100 

Jonathan  goes  to  see  Abe, 100 

The  Valley  Campaign 101 

Jonathan  speaks  his  Mind 103 

CHAPTER   XVIT. 

Battle  of  Fair  Oaks 106 

J.  E.  B.  Stuart's  Raid 108 

Seven  Days  of  Blood 103 

MalvemHill 109 

CHAPTER  xvm. 

Jonathan  sends  for  Fireworks  for  his  Fourth  of  July 112 

Jonathan  is  down-hearted 113 

Union  as  it  was 114 

Abraham  meditates  on  Sambo 115 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Jeft'  plans  an  Invasion  of  the  North 118 

Halleck  comes  to  Washington 118 

Pope  rides  out  to  Bull  Run 119 

Jonathan  takes  a  New  Start 120 

Mac  takes  the  field 121 

Lee  crosses  the  Potomac 123 

Maryland's  response  to  Lee 123 

Antietam 124 

CHAPTER   XX. 

Bragg's  Campaign  in  Kentucky 125 

Perryville 126 

Bucll  superseded 126 

CHAPTER   XXI. 

Jeff  and  Cabinet  upon  Foreign  Affairs 127 

Hopes  centred  in  Johnny  Bull 128 

Prospects  of  Northern  help 132 

Foote's  Peace  Resolution 134 

The  Rebs  on  Emancipation 135 

Confederate  Seal 137 

Winder  brings  News  of  Abe's  Preliminary  Emancipation  Pro 
clamation 138 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

Abe  and  Jonathan  on  the  Foe  at  Home 140 

Abe  visits  Mac  in  his  Camp 142 

Stuart  makes  anolher  Raid 144 

Mac  relieved  by  Burnside •  •  •  •  144 

Battle  of  Fredericksbnrg 145 

Abe  discouraged 148 

Receives  a  Note  from  Jonathan 148 

Lincoln's  Order  No.  1  ..                                149 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XXm. 

Battle  of  Murfreesboro' 151 

Attack  on  Charleston 153 

Jeff's  Imps  in  East  Tennessee 154 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Jeff's  Dinner  Party •. 155 

Bread  Riots  in  Richmond ICO 

CHAPTER   XXV. 

Burnside  in  Mud  and  Strife 102 

Burnside  is  relieved  by  Jo  Hooker 1C3 

Chancellorsville 163 

Lee  rides  to  Pennsylvania 165 

Hooker  superseded  by  Meade 166 

Battle  of  Gettysburg 168 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

Vicksburg  Campaigns 172 

CHAPTER   XXVH. 

Jeff  has  Ague  chills 184 

Seddon  gives  Him  a  Dose  of  Bark 184 

Rebels  troubled  about  Negro  Soldiers l.°5 

Devil  goes  to  New  York 186 

Stephens  goes  to  Fort  Monroe  187 

Digression  about  the  Griswold 189 

Jeff  hears  of  the  Loss  of  Vicksburg. 190 

New  York  P.iots 191 

Jeff  Addresses  his  Army 192 

Jeff  reads  about  Quantrell '. 193 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

Jonathan's  Fourth  of  July,  18C3 195 

Jonathan  goes  to  Washington 196 

Jonathan  talks  to  Abe  about  Sambo  and  Copperheads 196 

Abe  tells  the  Story  of  John  Bull's  Rebel  Rams 201 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

Bnrnside  goes  to  East  Tennessee 203 

Chickamauga 204 

Abe  sends  Grant  to  Chattanooga 206 

Siege  of  Knoxville 207 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Rebs  disgusted  with  Bragg 209 

Foote  exposes  the  Confederacy 209 

Jeff  sends  for  Quid 209 

The  Devil's  Imps  frightened  from  Anderson ville 211 

The  Devil  sends  them  to  Indiana 212 

The  Devil  wants  to  be  "  Let  alone  " 213 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

Bombardment  of  Charleston .  213 


CONTENTS.  11 

CHAPTER   XXXH. 

Foote  introduces  a  Resolution 217 

Governor  Vance  in  trouble 218 

Straight's  Escape  from  Libby 219 

Kilpatrick's  Raid 221 

Dahlgren's  Death 222 

Richmond  in  a  Panic 222 


CHAPTER 

Jeff  sends  for  Bragg 22-1 

Abe  sends  for  Grant 224 

Sherman  starts  into  Dixie 226 

CHAPTER   XXXTV. 

Jonathan  and  Betsey  Jane  visit  Old  Abe  about  the  Prisoners  —  227 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

Sherman's  Atlanta  Campaign 234 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

Wilderness  Battles 242 

Spottsylvania 244 

Jonathan  thinks  Abe  has  too  many  Irons  in  the  Fire 246 

Red  River  Expedition 247 

CHAPTER   XXXVH. 

North  Anna 248 

Grant  sends  his  Baggage  to  White  House 249 

Cold  Harbor 250 

Grant  starts  for  the  James 252 

CHAPTER   XXXVHI. 

Grant  bits  down  at  Petersburg 254 

Early'sRaid 254 

Monocacy   256 

CHAPTER   XXXIX, 

Kearsarge  fights  the  Alabama 258 

CHAPTER   XL. 

Richmond  was  placid  263 

CHAPTER   XLI. 

Petersburg  Mine 2C7 

Farragut  in  Mobile  Bay 268 

The  Albemarle 271 

CHAPTER   XLH. 

Washington  was  placid 272 

Nomination  of  Little  Mac 272 

Stephens'  Letter 272 

Re-election  of  Mr.  Lincoln. 275 

The  Liverpool  Bazaar 276 

CHAPTER   XLHI. 

Sheridan  in  the  Valley 278 

Battle  of  Cedar  Run  280 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK   XLIV. 

Battle  of  Reames'  Station 2ii 

FortFisher 285 

Sherman  depopulates  Atlanta 287 

CHAPTER   XLV. 

Jeff  makes  Speeches  in  Georgia 28S 

Thomas  goes  back  to  Nashville £89 

Corse  at  Alatoona 290 

Banm  at  Resaca  — " 292 

Sherman  cuts  his  Communication 293 

CHAPTER   XLVI. 

The  howls  of  the  Georgians 298 

Sherman's  March  to  the  Sea 298 

Fort  McAllister  taken 301 

Sherman's  Christmas  Gift 301 

CHAPTER  XLVIL 

Hood's  Invasion  of  Tennessee 302 

Theendof  Hood 304 

CHAPTER   XLVm. 

The  Rebels  turn  against  Jeff '. 306 

The  Devil  goes  out  of  Sight ; 308 

Hampton  Roads  Peace  Negotiation 310 

Jeff  re-fires  the  Southern  Ilean 311 

Sherman's  Carolina  Campaign 312 

CHAPTER    XLIX. 

Joe  Johnston  supersedes  Beauregard 315 

Sherman  finds  a  New  Communication 317 

Sherman  visits  Grant 321 

CHAPTER   L. 

Mobiletaken 323 

Sheridan's  Raid. 323 

Grant  turns  his  Last  Leaf. 324 

CHAPTER   LI. 

Battle  of  Five  Forks 325 

Grant's  Attack. 326 

Jeff  says  his  Prayers 327 

Jeff  takes  the  Train 328 

CHAPTER   LH. 

The  last  of  Robert  Lee 330 

Theendof  Joe 331 

CHAPTER   Lin. 

Jonathan  hears  the  News 333 

Betsey  Jane's  Meditations 334 

CHAPTER   LIV. 

Abe's  Speech 335 

CHAPTER   LV. 

Jonathan's  last  Visit  to  Old  Abe 337 


THE 


CHAPTER   I. 

ONCE  on  a  time  King  Jeff  sat  down, 

Beside  a  brandy  smash,  sir, 
And  said  to  Messrs.  Cobb  and  Floyd, 

"  It 's  time  to  make  a  dash,  sir. 
Our  little  plan,"  says  he,  "  will  fail 

If  we  should  keep  it  longer  ; 
We  've  waited  thirty  years  and  more,1 

We  never  shall  be  stronger. 

"  There 's  not  a  dollar  in  the  chest, 

(For,  Floyd,  you  are  so  handy,) 
And  Buck  will  sleep  till  we  come  down* 

On  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
Yankee  Doodle,  keep  it  up, 

Yankee  Doodle  Dandy ; 
We  '11  keep  you  snoozing,  Mr.  Buck, 

Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

"  But,  sir,"  says  Cobb,  "  what  will  you  do, 
To  keep  the  people  quiet ; 

1  "  The  secession  of  South  Carolina  is  not  an  event  of  a  day.    It  is 
not  anything  produced  by  Mr.  Lincoln's  election,  or  by  the  non-execu 
tion  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.    It  has  been  a  matter  which  has  been 
gathering  head  for  thirty  years." — Mr.  Rhett  In  South  Carolina  Con 
vention. 

2  "  By  remaining  in  our  places  until  4th  March,  it  is  thought  we  can 
keep  the  hands  of  Mr.  Buchanan  tied,"  etc.—Yulee,  Jan.  7,  1861. 
MePherson's  History,  see  page  173. 

(13) 


14  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Won't  they  upset  our  little  plan  ?" 

"  I'd  like  to  see  them  try  it. 
Why,  sir !  the  Southern  heart  is  fired, 

You  surely  have  forgotten ! 
They  can't  hear  reason  if  they  would, 

Their  ears  are  stuffed  -with  cotton. 

"  The  people  South  are  trained  too  well, 

Remember,  Cobb,  my  hearty ; 
They  dare  not  think  like  Northern  men, 

They  must  support '  Our  Party.' " 
"  There 's  Stephens !'"     "  Well !  I  own  that  L 

Is  sort  of  making  faces ; 
But  if  we  put  him  forward  horse, 

He'll  never  lack  the  traces. 

"  We've  got  the  guns,2  our  powder 's  dry, 

According  to  inspection ; 
Keep  dark  awhile — be  on  the  sly, 

Till  after  the  election. 
Old  Abe  is  sure  to  be  returned, 

We  fixed  that  in  Convention  ;3 
(But  this  to  Democratic  friends, 

Is  better  not  to  mention.) 

" '  Twill  all  work  in  to  suit  the  plan, 
The  Tariff  and  the  niggers ; 


•  *  Alex.  H.  Stephens  was  among  those  who  voted  against  the  ordi 
nance  of  secession  in  the  State  Convention  of  Georgia. 

4  "  Floyd  was  industriously  engaged,  up  to  the  date  of  his  resigna 
tion,  in  sending  arms  and  munitions  of  war  to  the  seceding  States." — 
New  York  Times,  Jan.  19, 1SG1. 

3  "  The  cloud  was  fully  charged,  and  the  juggling  revolutionists,  who 
held  the  wires  and  could  at  will  di  rect  its  lightnings,  appeared  at  Charles-' 
ton,  broke  up  the  Democratic  Convention  assembled  to  nominate  a 
candidate  for  the  Presidency,  and  thua  secured  the  election  of  Mr. 
Lincoln."— See  Rolfs  Letter  to  Speed,  May  31, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  15 

And  for  our  mercenary  men, 

We  '11  sprinkle  a  few  figures. 
The  Border  States  may  balk  awhile, 

But  they  must  sell  their  corn,  sir ; 
We  '11  coax  and  then  precipitate, 

And  clap  the  irons  on,  sir." 

Then  (with  his  finger  to  his  nose), 

Says  Jeff,  "  the  South  doth  groan,  sir, 
That  all  it  wants  from  Northern  men, 

Is  to  be  '  let  alone,'  sir." 
So  Floyd,  he  sent  a  Major  down, 

To  make  Fort  Sumter  handy ; 
The  Major  took  and  kept  the  fort,1 

With  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

Lord  Pickens,  then,  he  raved  a  while, 

The  Major  didn't  hear  him ; 
So  Beauregard  built  up  a  pile 

Of  earth  and  cannon  near  Tn'm. 
The  Major  then  looked  out  to  see 

His  orders  fast  come  pouring ; 
But  looked  in  vain — at  Washington 

Old  Buck2  was  only  snoring ! 

All  through  the  South  the  rage  ran  high, 

And  law  was  much  impeded ; 
The  plotters  into  session  went, 

And  said  their  State  seceded. 
They  trampled  on  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 

But  found  the  postage  handy  ;3 
And  whistled  Dixie,  when  they  thought 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

1  Major  Anderson   evacuated  Fort  Moultrie   and  occupied  Fort 
Sumter,  Dec.  26, 18GO.  2  James  Buchanan. 

3  The  mails  to  the  rebel  States  stopped  31st  May,  1861. 


16  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

They  sound  the  bugle,  beat  the  drum ; 

And  call  the  boys  to  muster ; 
Jeff,  on  the  sly,  pulls  all  the  -wires, 

And  Wigfall  does  the  bluster. 
Up  in  the  North,  Old  Jonathan,1 

Spits  out  his  quid,  and  wonders 
If  "ary"  storm  is  coming  on, 

Or  if  it  only  thunders. 

Now  by  and  by  Sir  Beauregard 

Gets  stingy  with  the  Major, 
And  cuts  off  all  his  beef  and  lard,2 

He  '11  rue  it  well,  I  wager. 
For  Buck  has  had  some  awful  dreams, 

And  wakes  up  with  a  frown,  sir ; 
And  to  the  Major  corn  and  wine, 

A  ship-load  sends  straight  down,  sir.* 

Sir  Beauregard  looks  very  hard, 

And  sees  the  ship  a-coming ; 
"  Ho !  he !"  saith  he,  "  that  cannot  be," 

And  sends  a  ball  a-humming. 
But  whether  shot  struck  ship  or  not, 

I  'm  sure  I  cannot  tell,  sir ; 
But  it  went  booming  up  the  North, 

"Where  it  blew  quite  a  spell,  'sir. 

And  Gunnybags  did  shake  his  head 
And  talk  about  "  conceding ;" 

And  ministers,  to  prove  wrong  right, 
Their  Bibles  sore  were  reading. 


1  Born  in  1776. 

?  Communication  between  the  city  and  Fort  Sumter  prohibited 
March  7, 1861. 
3  "  Star  of  the  West"  left  New  York,  January  5, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  17 

And  some  proposed  a  remedy 

I'm  quite  ashamed  to  mention ; 
They  called  John  Tyler  into  town,1 

To  head  a  Peace  Convention. 


Now  from  the  East  of  Tennessee, 

Starts  up  our  "  Second  Andy  ;"2 
And  "  Treason  "  calls  the  little  plot, 

On  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
Yankee  Doodle,  keep  it  up, 

Yankee  Doodle  Dandy ; 
"The  traitors! — they  should  be  strung  up," 

Says  valiant  Second  Andy. 

And  Mr.  Secretary  Dix,3 

In  indignation  mutters : 
"  Those  rebels  down  at  New  Orleans 

Are  going  to  steal  our  cutters." 
Then  speaks  right  out  to  Hemphill  Jones,4 

"  The  times  are  growing  hot,  sir  ; 
If  any  man  hauls  down  our  flag, 

Just  shoot  him  on  the  spot,  sir." 

Just  then  there  came  to  Washington, 

Along  with  Abraham  Lincoln, 
Old  General  Scott,  who  ne'er  was  caught 

A  napping  or  a  winking. 
Says  he,  "  I  hate  a  Traitor's  face 

As  much  as  I  do  'pison ;' 
Give  me  a  squad,  or  so,  of  men, 

1 11  sweep  the  whole  horizon." 

1  February  5, 1861.  2  Andrew  Johnson  of  Tennessee. 

3  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

4  Col.  Wm.  Hemphill  Jones,  Treasury  Agent. 


18  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"But  first,"  says  Abe,  "there 's  Major  A.' 

Is  getting  rather  lean,  sir ; 
His  tea  is  out,  his  bread  is  gone, 

His  pork  has  ne'er  a  bean,  sir. 
The  people  (bless  them,  they're  all  right,) 

Got  leave  of  Governor  Pickens 
To  send  a  cabbage,  now  and  then, 

And  now  a  pair  of  chickens." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  says  Scott,  "  that  worries  me, 

It 's  plain  as  any  steeple  ; 
The  traitors  when  they  see  the  hemp,' 

Will  dodge  behind  the  people. 
They  've  told  them,  sir,  that  Jonathan 

Is  itching  for  a  battle, 
And  wants  to  tear  their  hearthstones  up, 

And  drive  off  all  their  cattle. 

"  The  South,  I  know,  is  honest  still, 

The  traitors,  sir,  have  made  her 
To  work  their  most  unholy  will — 

Good  God !  how  they  've  betrayed  her. 
And  there 's  Virginny,  my  old  State ! 

(The  General  fell  a-crying,) 
She  '11  be  a  cat's-paw,  sure  as  fate, 

Her  Washington  defying." 

"But,  sir,"  says  Abe,  "the  boy  out  there, 

There's  no  use  to  deny  it, 
Don't  thrive  upon  his  Charleston  fare, 

It  isn't  healthy  diet. 
To  cheer  him  up,  I  '11  send  straight  down 

A  little  keg  of  brandy, 
1 11  never  see  the  fellow  starve, 

By — Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 


CHAPTER  II. 

SIR  BEATJREGARD,  lie  looketh  hard, 

And  thinks  he  spies  a  fleet ; 
And  up  jumps  Pryor,  all  on  fire, 

"  This  time1 1  '11  not  retreat" 
Says  he,  "  In  Old  Virginny's  name, 

I  'm  going  to  send  a  big  ball." 
Then  up  jumps  one  to  make  a  speech 

(I  think  his  name  is  Wigfall) ; 

And  grasping  a  palmetto-tree 

To  keep  himself  quite  steady, 
"  Now,  boys,"  says  he,  "  the  hour 's  at  hand, 

And  everything  is  ready. 
In  yonder  fort  there 's  seventy  men, 

By  this  time  lean  and  lanky ; 
Car'lina,  sirs,  regrets  that  you 

Must  flog  the  scurvy  Yankee. 

"  I  see  the  chivalry  are  here, 

And  full  seven  thousand  strong,  sir ; 
I  '11  give  three  hours  to  take  the  fort — 

You  '11  hardly  be  so  long,  sir. 
You  see  that  hateful  striped  rag, 

That 's  hung  so  long  defying ; 
Who  '11  be  the  first  to  nail  our  flag 

"Where  that  curs'd  thing  is  flying  ?" 

1  See  the  Porter  and  Pryor  Correspondence. 
(19) 


20  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

He  said,  and  turned  himself  about, 

And  went  into  safe  quarters — 
That  is  to  say,  beyond  the  range 

Of  Yankee  guns  and  mortars. 
And  then  the  Devil,  he  came  up, 

And  all  his  imps  did  call ; 
And  sat  them  down,  to  gaze  upon 

The  opening  of  the  ball 

Then  Beauregard,  he  gave  the  word, 

He  better  had  been  dumb,  sir, 
For,  oh!  they  "shot  their  granny"  when 

They  fired  upon  Fort  Sumter.1 
For  the  first  gun  they  charged  that  day, 

They  aimed  it  very  ill,  sir ; 
The  shot  went  clear  up  Boston  Bay ! 

And  lodged  in  Bunker  TTill,  sir ! 


Now  Major  A.  was  sitting  down 

To  eat  a  little  snack,  sir  ? 
When,  bang !  there  came  a  thundering  knock, 

It  made  the  timbers  crack,  sir. 
"  Don't  open  yet,  my  gallant  lads, 

(I  wish  I  'd  a  potato,) 
They  've  been  to  breakfast,  I  '11  be  bound, 

And  can  afford  to  wait,  O. 

"  But  while  they  're  waiting  there  outside, 
Our  compliments  to  bandy ; 


1  The  rebels  opened  fire  from  Fort  Moultrie  at  half-past  four  A.M., 
April  12, 1861. 

2  "  We  took  breakfast  at  half-past  six  o'clock  leisurely  and  calmly, 
after  which  the  command  was  divided  into  three  reliefs." — Tribune 
Account. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  .         21 

Turn  out  the  band,  and  play  the  tune, 
Called  'Yankee  Doodle  Dandy.' " 

And  as  they  play,  the  old  flag  swells 
Upon  the  startled  air,  sir ; 

And  every  stripe  floats  brave  and  free, 
And  every  star  is  there,  sir. 

The  shots  come  booming  thick  and  fast, 

"  I  pray  thee  do  not  lag,  sir," 
A  soldier  said,  "they've  grazed  the  staff, 

They  're  aiming  at  the  flag,1  sir." 
Up  rose  the  Major,  calm  and  pale, 

As  one  a  great  blow  stuns  ; 
Nor  spoke  he,  but  looked  at  his  men 

And  pointed  to  the  guns. 

They  man  the  guns,  they  toil  like  one 

Who  with  a  single  hand,  sir, 
"Would  keep  a  pack  of  wolves  at  bay, 

So  fight  they  for  their  land,  sir. 
Those  seventy  men,  I  need  not  tell 

Their  title-deeds  to  glory ; 
For  every  heart,  I  know  full  well, 

Is  throbbing  with  the  story. 

Nor  how  they  gulped  emotion  down, 

Nor  looked  at  one  another, 
As  shot  by  shot  around  them  fell, 

Each  fired  by  a  brother ! 
Nor  how  the  Devil  sat  on  shore, 

His  spirits  growing  higher, 


1  "  The  aim  of  the  enemy  was  principally  directed  at  our  flag-staff, 
from  which  proudly  waved  the  Stars  and  Stripes.  After  two  days' 
incessant  living  it  was  rfiot  away." — Tribune,  April  19, 1861. 


22  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

As  red  hot  hail  poured  in  upon 
Fort  Sumter,  when  "  on  fire."1 

Nor  how  he  chuckled  to  himself, 

"  Dear  me !  I  'm  of  no  use,  sir, 
To  fellows,  who  like  these  can  aim, 

Straight  at  a  flag  of  truce,  sir." 
Nor  how  he  left  his  imps  "  at  cards,"2 

And  in  disgust  did  go,  sir, 
From  Cummings  Point,  straight  as  a  line, 

To  cool  off  down  below,  sir. 

Nor  how  these  seventy  weary  men, 

Beleaguered  in  this  manner, 
By  fire,  and  "  full  seven  thousand  strong," 

Took  down  their  Spangled  Banner. 
It  was  a  "  glorious  bloodless  "  strife, 

('Tis  so,  the  traitors  say,  sir,) 
They  'd  better  lost  there  every  life, 

Than  what  they  lost  that  day,  sir ; 

For  when  the  Major  took  a  ship, 

And  from  Car'lina  started, 
And  carried  off  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 

Her  glory  had  departed ! 
But  Jeff  who  sat  in  proud  estate 

A  self-appointed  grandee, 
He  told  them,  "  they  had  fixed  the  fate, 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

1  "  When  the  building  caught  fire,  the  enemy  commenced  firing  hot 
ehot."    (From  Minutes  of  an  officer  in  Fort  Sumter.)— Tribune,  April 
19, 1861. 

2  '•  Our  troops  were  so  cool  that  during  the  action  some  of  the 
boys  at  Cummings  Point  amused  themselves  with  a  game  of  cards." — 
Eebel  Account. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

Now,  Honest  Abe  at  Washington 

Was  sweeping  out  the  place,  sir, 
When,  like  a  shot,  in  bolted  Scott, 

With  fury  in  his  face,  sir. 
"  Now,  here 's,"  says  he,  "  a  pretty  row, 

The  traitors  we  must  bag,  sir, 
For,  sure  as  fate,  the  rebel  pack 

Have  fired  upon  the  flag,  sir !  " 

"  What  flag  ?  "  says  Abe,  a-sitting  down, 

"  You  don't  mean  that  at  Pickens  ? 
Why  Slemmer's  not  so  sad  a  clown, 

As  let  Bragg  play  the  dickens  ?  " 
"  No,  no !  "  says  Scott,  and  waxing  hot, 

He  gave  his  sword  a  thump,  sir. 
"  Ah !  then,"  says  Abe,  "  the  chaps  have  got 

A  tartar  in  Fort  Sumter." 

"  Well,  well,"  says  Scott,  "  that 's  true  or  not, 

I  know  what  they  will  get,  sir  : 
For  Abe,  I  want  my  squad  of  men, 

Before  the  sun  is  set,  sir." 
Then  Abe,  he  took  a  pen  and  ink, 

(For  he  is  mighty  handy,) 
And  wrote  a  letter  quick  as  wink,1 

To  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

1  April  15, 1861,  President  Lincoln  called  for  75,000  men  to  bnppress 
the  Rebellion. 

(23) 


24  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Now  when  the  echo  of  the  guns 

Went  rolling  up  the  North,  sir, 
It  stretched  from  Gotham  clear  to  Maine, 

And  to  the  West  went  forth,  sir. 
And  every  man  throughout  the  land, 

Did  feel  a  sudden  thrill,  sir, 
And  every  man  did  silent  stand 

And  every  pulse  was  still,  sir. 

Then  with  one  great  convulsive  bound 

The  nation's  heart  did  beat,  sir, 
And  every  throb  did  nerve  an  arm, 

The  traitor  foe  to  meet,  sir. 
From  California,  through  the  West, 

To  Maine,  so  bleak  and  sandy, 
One  single  thought  did  fire  the  breast, 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

When  Abram's  letter  came  to  town, 

They  read  it  out  in  meeting, 
And  ere  the  sun  was  half  way  down 

A  thousand  drums  were  beating. 
That  night,  as  Scott  was  going  to  bed 

In  not  the  best  of  cheer,  sir, 
In  at  the  door  Abe  put  his  head, 

Says  he,  "  The  squad  is  here,  sir."  l 

Meanwhile,  the  Major  up  the  bay, 
Brings  home  the  "  striped  rag,"  sir, 

He  finds  the  town  has  blossomed  out, 
Like  peach  trees,  with  the  flag,  sir. 


1  Six  hundred  men  of  the  Pennsylvania  militia  (Col.  Cake)  were  the 
first  volunteers  who  arrived  in  Washington.  They  came  in  on  April 
18, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  25 

The  Major's  heart  beats  quick  and  fast, 

He  sees  as  well  as  "  Andy  " 
That  Sumter's  guns  have  waked  at  last 

Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

For  Jonathan  has  risen  in  haste, 

His  powder-horn  to  fill,  sir : 
(It  is  the  same  his  gran'sir  used 

On  famous  Bunker  Hill,  sir.) 
He  calls  his  sons  to  leave  the  plough, 

The  old  sword  buckles  on,  sir, 
And  side  by  side  with  steady  tramp 

They  march  to  Washington,  sir. 

Long  years  agone,  at  Lexington, 

Their  fathers  showed  the  way,  sir, 
To  freedom ;  now  at  Baltimore,1 

They  celebrate  the  day,  sir. 
Sound  the  alarm  !  ho !  minute  men ! 

To  arms !  the  brave  are  falling ; 
The  land  is  cursed  by  treason!s  rule, 

The  oppressed  for  aid  are  calling. 

1  April  19,  the  6th  Massachusetts  and  7th  Pennsylvania  militia  had 
a  fight  with  a  mob  in  Baltimore. 


CHAPTEE   IV. 

ABE'S  letter  was  to  Dixie  sent, 

"  They  laughed  beyond  expression  " ' 
When  to  Montgomery  it  went, 

Into  their  secret  session. 
"  Ha !  ha  S "  says  Toombs,  says  he  "  good  joke ! " 

(The  laugh  was  not  so  hearty,) 
"Why,  sir,"  says  Keitt,  "the  scamp  would  poke 

His  nose  into  our  party." 

"  Ho !  ho ! "  says  Rhett, "  we  11  make  him  sweat, 

The  '  ape  '  can  only  boast,  sir, 
For  when  he  counts  upon  the  North, 

He  counts  without  his  host,  sir. 
For  Bennett  there  will  stand  us  true, 

And  Wall  Street  will  not  fail,  sir, 
The  Democrats  will  nothing  do 

Except  to  go  our  bail,  sir. 

"  New  York 's  too  cute  to  go  it  blind, 

She  lives  by  Southern  trade,  sir, 
To  go  to  war  is  not  her  mind, 

With  Southern  debts  unpaid,  sir. 
When  she  speaks  out  Old  Abe  will  cringe, 

And  mind  his  P's  and  Q's,  sir, 
This  talk  of  war,  you  '11  see,  will  hinge 

On  what  Neiv  York  will  do,  sir." 

1  "  A  quotation  from  President  Lincoln's  Proclamation  was  met  by 
shouts  of  derisive  laughter."—  Charleston  Mercury,  April  SO.  1861 . 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.  27 

Then  up  pops  Orr ;  says  he  "  He !  he  ! 

That 's  good  I  do  declare,  sir ; 
When  Abram  tries  to  '  take  the  forts' 

By  Jove !  how  he  will  stare,  sir. 
Those  greedy  chaps  will  never  fight, 

They  cannot  waste  the  time,  sir, 
When  Abram's  army  comes  to  light, 

I'll  buy  it — with  a  dime,  sir." 

"  Haw !  haw ! "  says  Cobb,  who  fairly  laughed 

Out  louder  than  the  rest, 
"  Go  plant  in  peace,  my  friends,"  says  he, 

"  Virginia  bares  her  breast." 
Just  here,  in  rushed  young  master  Pryor, 

He  looked  somewhat  alarmed,  sir, 
Says  he  "  By  Jeff!  the  North's  on  fire, 

And  every  man  is  armed,  sir ! 

"  I  heard,"  said  he,  "  by  telegraph, 

(The  mail  has  just  come  on,  sir) 
That  there  are  fifty  thousand  men 

Encamped  in  Washington,  sir." 
"  Pshaw !  weren't  they  stopped  in  Baltimore  ?  " 

Said  Barn  well,  and  he  frowned,  sir ; 
"  Stopped ! !  a-hem,  yes,"—"  What  then  ?  " 

"  Wiry  then  they  traveled  round,  sir. 

"  They  've  come  like  locusts  on  the  land, 

And  ships  upon  the  sea,  sir, 
Have  brought  Old  Gunnybags  himself, 

As  quick  as  quick  could  be,  sir. 
And  Wall  Street,  sir,  has  sent  the  chest, 

And  now  it 's  there  quite  handy ; 
With  ne'er  a  Floyd  to  keep  it  safe 

For  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 


28  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  New  York  has  joined  the  hue  and  cry, 

Our  friends  have  sunk  like  lead,  sir, 
The  Union  rage  has  run  so  high 

They  dare  not  show  their  heads,  sir. 
"Why,  some  who  swore  to  stand  by  us 

Are  innocent  as  babes,  sir, 
Now,  when  they  've  led  us  in  this  muss, 

Turn  round  and  shout  for  Abe,  sir."  ' 

"  Tut,  tut,  my  boy,  that 's  bogus  news, 

Else  were  our  plot  imperiled  ; " 
"  I  swear  'tis  true,"  says  Pryor  "  look !  here  's 

A  copy  of  the  Herald  !  " — 
At  this  came  in  an  orderly, 

"  A  telegraph  dispatch,'2  sir ; " 
"  Bless  me  !  "  said  Jeff,  "  this  Yankee  trick, 

It  will  be  hard  to  match,  sir." 

He  read,  and  tore  his  hair  in  spite, 

"  We  are,  in  fact,  invaded, 
Pickens  was  reinforced  last  night,3 

And  Charleston  is  blockaded." 
They  locked  the  door,  they  whispered  low, 

They  stayed  all  day  and  night,  sir, 
But  what  they  did,  no  man  doth  know, 

It  never  came  to  light,  sir. 

But  some  suppose  they  took  a  vote 

And  settled  it  by  lot, 
That  Robinson 4  should  go  at  once 

And  buy  off  Gen.  Scott. 

1  See  Report  of  mass  meeting  in  Union  Square,  April  20, 1861. 

2  Dispatches  from  Port  Slemmer,  captured  by  the  rebels,  gave  Davis 
the  first  intimation  of  his  defeat ;  no  wonder  the  rebel  chief  was  sick 
and  went  to  bed.— Evening  Post.  s  April  12, 1861. 

4  Judge  Robinson,  of  Virginia,  who  offered  Gen.  Scott  a  commission 
as  eommander-in-chief  of  rebel  army.— SeeN.  T.  Times,  April  20, 1801. 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.  29 

But  one  tiling  sure  is  known  to  all, 

Jeff  took  an  ague  fit,  sir, 
And  did  a  doctors'  council  call, 

Upon  the  case  to  sit,  sir. 

They  found  the  symptoms  very  bad, 

His  body  politic, 
Was  broken  out  in  angry  spots, 

Internally  was  sick. 
The  doctors  sighed,  and  shook  their  heads, 

And,  "  It  is  plain  to  see,  sir, 
A  desperate  case  like  this,"  they  said, 

"  Needs  desperate  remedy,  sir." 

Then  Jeff,  he  rose  in  trembling  haste, 

He  saw  his  end  was  near,  sir  ; 
Says  he  "  If  I  must  die, — at  least 

I  will  not  die  of  fear,  sir. 
Bring  me  my  sword,  and,  Walker,  stay,1 

Call  all  the  boys  together  : 
And  send  my  pirates  out  to  sea,2 

Before  it 's  stormy  weather. 

"  There 's  Houston,3  if  he  sees  us  down, 

Most  terribly  wiH  vex  us, 
Tell  Twiggs 4  to  tip  the  fellow's  crown, 

Or  drive  him  out  of  Texas. 
And  Hicks,5  confound  these  crooked  sticks, 

That  never  will  fit  in,  sir, 


1  Walker,  rebel  Secretary  of  War. 

2  Jeff  Davis  offers  to  issue  letters  of  marque.— April  17, 1861. 

3  Governor  of  Texas. 

4  Twiggs,  by  his  treachery  as  a  United  States  officer,  purchased  a 
commission  in  the  rebel  army. 

6  Hicks,  Governor  of  Maryland,  refused  to  call  a  convention  to  take 
Maryland  out  of  the  Union. 


30  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

This  one  turns  up  in  Maryland  ; 
Our  troubles  to  begin,  sir. 

"  Send  on  in  haste  to  Tennessee 

A  hint  of  blood  and  arson, 
Tell  Harris '  if  he  'd  favor  me, 

He  '11  burn  that  printing  parson* 
And  quick  to  Memphis  a  dispatch — 

Or  stay,  give  me  a  quill,  O, 
A  private  hint  about  his  ditch, 

I  '11  write  to  General  Pillow. 

"  Call  out  the  mob  along  the  shore, 

Straight  up  from  New  Orleans  : 
And  ask  McGoffin,s  (stupid  bore !) 

What  Old  Kentucky  means. 
Bid  Bully  Wise  some  plan  devise 

To  stop  that  brawling  '  Andy/ 
Or  by  the  powers  that  be,  we  're  done 

By  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

"  Bid  Mann  and  Yancey  to  set  out, 

(Such  news  may  thrones  convulse,  sir) 
To  see  what  Johnny  Bull's  about, 

And  feel  Napoleon's  pulse,  sir. 
Since  our  own  friends  and  brothers  fail, 

We  're  forced  to  this  decision ; 
We  '11  fight  the  Yankees  and  prevail, 

With  foreign  recognition." 

So  said,  King  Jeff  grew  faint  and  ill, 
And  sent  for  Mister  Stephens, 


1  Gov.  Harris,  of  Tennessee.  *  Brownlow,  of  Tennessee. 

3  Governor  of  Kentucky. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  31 

He  didn't  come,  but  seized  a  quill 

And  wrote  the  best  of  reasons  : 
Says  he,  "  King  Jeff,  I  'd  like  to  please, 

And  not  to  disappoint,  sir, 
But  I  am  suffering  from  disease, 

My  liver 's  out  of  joint,  sir. 

"  There  's  lots  of  fellows,  stout  and  trim, 

Up  in  Virginia  waiting  ; 
Just  change  the  venue,  draft  them  in, 

They  '11  snap  at  any  baiting. 
Take  my  advice,  now,  Jeff,  for  once, 

And  keep  the  South  in  order, 
And  let  Virginia  (poor  old  dunce !) 

Meet  Abram  on  the  border." 

Jeff  takes  the  hint,  a  clever  one, 

"  Our  way,"  said  he,  "  is  clear,  sir, 
We  '11  pen  old  Abe  in  Washington, 

And  strike  him  in  the  rear,  sir. 
You  're  quick  at  figures,  Toombs,  just  make 

A  little  calculation 
How  many  chivalry  'twill  take 

To  smash  this  Yankee  nation." 

"  Ahem,"  said  Toombs,  "  a  fraction,  sir, 

And  that  a  decimal, 
Could  hardly,  sir,  express  a  sum 

So  infinitesimal.1 
Don't  enter  into  the  details, 

Or  the  occasion  's  lost,  sir, 
The  Southron  wills,  his  dash  prevails, 

While  Yankees  count  the  cost,  sir." 

1  See  Southern  bluster  generally. 


32  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Well  then,"  says  Jeff,  "  I '11  make  a  draft, 

The  people,  they  must  pay,  sir, 
1 11  date  the  note  at — deuce  take  it — 

Where  is  the  C.  S.  A.  sir?" 
"  Eichmond  ?  " — "  But  then  Virginia  lags, 

The  reason  I  divine,  sir, 
Her  mettle 's  high !  /know  the  tune 

Will  wheel  her  into  line,  sir." 

So  said,  Jeff  took  a  scented  sheet, 

A  gilt-edged,  tinted  note, 
And  nibbed  his  quill,  and  fine,  and  neat, 

And  carefully,  he  wrote  : 
"  Mother  of  Presidents,"  said  he, 

"  Our  fate  is  in  your  hand,  O, 
'Tis  ours  to  fight  for  liberty, 

Virginia's  to  command,  O." 

Virginia  blushed,  and  said  'twas  sweet 

To  be  appreciated ; 
And  Jeff's  proposal,  it  was  meet, 

Should  be  at  least  debated. 
She  could  not  but  reciprocate 

His  well-bred  courtesie,  sir ; 
la  fact,  she  nibbled  at  the  bait 

And  sent  Jeff  Mr.  Lee,1  sir. 

Now  Lee  was  bred  in  Washington, 

On  governmental  pap,  sir ; 
And  lived  with  Scott,  and  made  his  punch, 

And  now  and  then  a  map,  sir. 
'  Tis  said,  one  day  he  saw  a  plan 

Old  Abe  and  Scott  combined, 

1  Robert  Lee  commissioned  Commander  in-Chief  of  Confederate 
forces  in  Virginia  on  the  10th  May,  1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  33 

Had  made,  without  his  (Lee's)  advice, 
And  in  a  miff  resigned. 

But  others  say,  Lee  not  in  spite, 

But  rather  more  in  sorrow, 
Said  fervently  his  prayers  one  night — 

Turned  traitor  on  the  morrow. 
For  conscience'  sake,  not  for  renown, 

He  'd  Coriolanus  be,  sir ; 
And  so  march  back  against  the  town 

With  all  the  chivalrie,  sir. 

Thus  Jeff  and  Mr.  Lee  do  meet, 

In  mutual  admiration ; 
And  take  together  counsel  sweet, 

To  circumvent  the  nation : 
"  Down  the  Potomac's  wooded  bank 

Our  batteries  we  '11  mask,  sir," 
Says  Lee ;  "  to  pen  the  mud-sills  up 

"Will  be  an  easy  task,  sir. 

"  Letcher,1  you  know,  has  been  at  work ; 

Virginia  doth  regard, 
With  favor,  Jeff,  what  he  hath  done 

At  Gosport  navy  yard.2 
And  Harper's  Ferry3  is  redeemed, 

The  forty  knaves4  are  fled,  sir ; 
We  sent  three  thousand  to  the  chase, 

They  shot  two  'blue  coats'  dead,  sir." 

"  Oh,  yes !"  sighed  Jeff,  "  that 's  plain  enough, 
So  far  as  it  does  go, 


1  Governor  of  Virginia.  2  April  15, 1861. 

3  Captured  April  18, 1861.  <  The  United  States  garrison. 

2* 


34  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

But  there 's  some  Massachusetts  stuff 

Inside  our  Fort  Monroe.1 
But  Lee,  I  'm  sure,  that  you  will  do 

To  see  these  matters  right,  sir ; 
I  '11  pack  my  traps,  and  follow  you 

To  Richmond,  by  to-night,  sir,'2 

1  General  Butler's  head  quarters  at  Fort  Monroe,  May  18, 1861. 
4  Jeff  Davis  arrives  in  Richmond,  June  29, 1861. 


CHAPTE.E  V. 

WHILE  Jefferson  and  Kobert  Lee 

Hold  traitorous  communion, 
The  Mayor,1  out  in  "Wheeling,  struck 

A  blow,  sir,  for  the  Union. 
Knave  Letcher  wrote  him  of  the  fact 

(Embossed  with  rebel  gildings) 
Of  Old  Virginia's  Traitor  Act,* 

And  said,  the  public  buildings 

He  had  in  charge  must  be  all  seized, 

In  Old  Virginia's  name,  sir. 
"  I  have,"  said  Sweeney,  "  seized  them  all, 

And  I  shall  hold  the  same,  sir, 
For  ABEAM  LINCOLN,  President 

Of  these  United  States." 
Thus  Sweeney  spoke  his  sentiments, 

And  from  his  act  there  dates, 

A  split,  which  soon  a  chasm  grew, 

And  Old  Virginia  rent, 
The  western  half  struck  out  a  new 

And  separate  government ; 
The  people  liked  the  good  old  flag, 

'Twas  just  the  one  they  needed ; 
At  Letcher's  heels  they  would  not  drag — 

From  Letcher  they  "  seceded." 

1  Andrew  Sweeney.         2  Act  of  Secession,  passed  June  17,  1SC1. 

(35) 


36  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

In  vain  the  Gov'nor  would  "  coerce," 

The  patriots  held  their  own, 
Until,  when  Abe  sent  out  a  force, 

He  found  a  State  full  grown ; 
Then  skirmish  there,  and  skirmish  here,1 

For  Eosecrans  and  Mac,  sir, 
"With  gallant  Western  volunteers, 

Got  on  the  rebels'  track,  sir. 

They  pressed  so  hard,  so  valiantly, 

So  full  of  righteous  ire — 
These  "Western  boys — the  rebs  at  length 

Concluded  to  retire. 
They  quite  forgot  to  take  their  guns, 

Or  e'en  their  dead  to  bury ; 
They  vanished  from  Kanawha  vale,2 

And  so  lost  Harper's  Ferry. 


Out  in  Missouri  strife  was  rife, 

Could  anybody  wonder 
When  loyal  men  and  traitors  met, 

They  'd  rend  the  State  asunder  ? 
The  Governor,3  a  traitor  vile, 

Began  to  organise,  sir, 
State  troops,  but  loyal  men  the  while, 

To  guard  against  surprise,  sir, 


1  The  rebels,  1,500  strong,  were  defeated  at  Pnillipi  on  the  3d  June, 
1861,  by  the  Union  troops  under  Colonels  Kelly  and  Lander.    At  Rich 
Mountain,  on  the  llth  July,  Eosecrans,  with  the  8th,  10th  and  13th 
Indiana,  and  10th  Ohio,  made  a  circuit  of  the  rebel  camp  and  attacked 
jn  the  rear.    Pegram  surrendered  on  the  12th  July  at  Beverly.    The 
rebel  General  Garnett  killed  on  the  18th  at  Carrick's  Ford. 

2  General  Cox  announced,  on  the  20th  July,  that  the  Ka.nawha 
Valley  was. clear  of  rebel  troops. 

3  Claiborn  Jackson. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  37 

Began  to  drill  right  earnestly.1 

So  when  the  Governor  seized, 
Their  arsenal  at  Liberty, 

The  Home  Guards  were  displeased. 
They  drilled  the  more,  till  Captain  Lyon, 

With  Sigel  and  with  Blair, 
.  Led  out  the  boys  to  rebel  camp,2 

And  had  a  skirmish  there. 

They  captured  all  the  traitor  crew, 

They  tore  their  tents  all  down ; 
But  what  should  General  Harney  do, 

When  he  came  into  town, 
But  make  a  bargain  with  old  Price3 

If  he  (Price)  would  preserve, 
In  order  Old  Missouri,  why ! 

His  (Harney's)  troops  should  serve. 

As  strictly  ornamental ;  thus 

To  rebel  satisfaction, 
He  would  repress  the  loyal  tide, 

Then  swelling  into  action. 
Bold  Lyon  frowned,  the  Home  Guards  cheered  I 

And  Harney  went  away,  sir,4 
By  Abe's  command  ;  then  it  appeared 

There  'd  be  some  wilder  play,  sir. 

Said  rebel  Governor  and  Price, 

To  Lyon  and  to  Blair,5 
"  If  you  will  heed  our  kind  advice, 

You  '11  take  especial  care 

1  Home  Guards. 

2  Camp  Jackson,  near  St.  Louis,  on  the  10th  May,  1861. 

3  'On  the  21st  May,  18C1. 

4  Succeeded  by  Lyon  on  the  4th  June,  1861. 

5  On  the  4th  January,  1861. 


38  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

To  move  your  troops  outside  and  wait, 
And  let  us  rebs  alone,  sir, 

To  keep  the  peace  inside  the  State  " — 
The  Guards  set  up  a  groan,  sir. 

And  Lyon  said,  his  Government, 

So  long  as  lie  had  eyes 
To  see  how  things  were  being  bent, 

Should  never  compromise, 
Or  bargain  with  a  traitor  clan 

The  rights,  sir,  of  the  nation. 
Then  Jackson  hurried  up  his  plan, 

And  wrote  his  Proclamation.1 

He  called  for  fifty  tltousand,  then, 

To  drive  invaders  home ; 
(He  didn't  mean  McCullough's  men, 

Who  from  the  South  had  come, 
"With  all  the  vagabonds  at  hand 

To  "  help  Missouri  out,"  sir ; 
But  only  Lyon's  little  band, 

Of  patriots  so  stout,  sir.2) 

They  didn't  wait,  these  Guards  so  bold, 
They  started  in  the  morn ; 

They  headed  for  their  capital — 
Their  Governor  was  gone.3 

They  followed.     On  a  little  bluff,4 
They  met  a  battery,  sir — 


1  Issued  June  12, 1861. 

2  Four  regiments  of  volunteers,  a  few  recruits  from  neighboring 
States,  and  a  few  United  States  regulars. 

8  Lyon,  on  the  13th  June,  had  possession  of  Jefferson  city  twenty- 
four  hours  after  Jackson  left. 
4  On  the  17th  June,  eight  miles  helow  Booneville. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  39 

Four  thousand  rebs — as  ugly  stuff 
As  one  could  wish  to  see,  sir. 

Some  Union  ball,  some  Union  shell, 

And  then  a  loyal  charge ! 
The  nest  of  traitors  quickly  fell, 

And  Jackson,  now  at  large, 
With  Price,  so  suddenly  made  sick,1 

Before  them  disappeared ; 
And  then  in  Booneville,  for  their  Blaiir 

And  Lyon,  how  they  cheered ! 

The  rebels  ran  to  concentrate, 

Grew  stronger  as  they  ran,  sir, 
And  here  and  there,  throughout  the  State, 

A  bitter  war  began,  sir. 
The  time  was  past  with  specious  pleas 

The  loyal  to  inveigle ; 
They  pinned  their  faith  to  Uncle  Sam, 

And  went  to  fight  with  Sigel.2 

1  Price  was  too  sick  to  command  in  person. 

a  Battle  of  Carthage  on  the  5th  July.    Sigel  had  1,500  men  ;  Price, 
4,COO. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

IN  '61,  the  fourth  of  March, 

To  "Washington  there  came, 
A  prophet  most  infallible, 

And  Seward  was  his  name ; 
"  This  poison  in  the  blood,"  he  said, 

"  Secession — thing  accursed, 
Has  come  at  last  unto  a  head — 

In  sixty  days  'twill  burst." 

Said  Dr.  Cameron,  said  he, 

" '  Tis  possible,  by  chance,  it 
May  come  too  near  a  vital  part — 

I  '11  sharpen  up  my  lancet." 
Says  Betsey  Jane,1  "  Which  way  you  fix 

The  thing,  there  '11  be  no  stint,  sir, 
Of  shedding  blood ;  '  twill  be  for  good 

To  scrape  a  little  lint,  sir." 

"  Dear  me,"  says  Abe,  "  you  take  my  breath, 

(He 's  sometimes  pretty  curt,  sir,) 
You  '11  fright  the  nation  unto  death, 

Why,  nobody  is  hurt,  sir." 
"  Not  hurt,"  says  Greeley,  "  more 's  the  shame, 

Your  cavalry  are  shod,  sir ; 
Nobody  hurt !  then  where 's  the  blame  ? 

Turn  out  and  try  the  squad,  sir. 

1  Jonathan's  daughter. 
(40) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  41 

"  The  rebels  vile  must  bite  the  dust, 

'  Tis  cowardly  to  loiter." 
"  Well  then,"  sighed  Abe,  "what  must  be  must, 

Turn  out  and  reconnoiter." 
That  night  old  Mansfield  stroked  his  beard, 

And  let  his  supper  spoil 
And  ere  the  dawn  had  turned  to  morn,1 

Had  trod  the  sacred  soil 

And  Ellsworth !  Ah!  what  chilled  the  land 

And  dimmed  the  sun  that  day  ? 
With  vengeful  hearts  his  stricken  band 

Their  dead  chief  bore  away  ; 
And  Lincoln  looked  in  silence  sad, 

And  mused  upon  his  blindness, 
Who  dreamed  last  night, — the  simple  lad, 

"  To  kiU  the  foe  with  kindness."2 


The  tidings  flew  through  Bebeldom, 

Jeff  Davis  laughed  aloud, 
And  sent  the  gentle  Beauregard, 

To  tell  it  to  the  crowd ; 
Now  G.  T.  B.  (like  Washington, 

Who  could  not  tell  a  lie,  sir,) 
Found  stubborn  facts  were  in  his  way, 

When  he  began  to  try,  sir. 

"  But  facts,"  said  he,  "  to  men  like  me, 

Are  seldom  worth  the  mention, 
And  for  the  rest,  I  think  I'll  test 

The  merits  of  invention." 

1  May  24, 1801. 

2  "  Show  the  enemy  that  you  are  inen  as  well  as  soldiers,  *    *    * 
*    *    *    *    I  want  toJdll  them  with  kindness."  (Ellsworth's  last 
speech  to  his  Regiment  before  crossing  the  Potomac.) 


42  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  My  Countrymen,"1  said  he,  "  the  knave 
Called  Lincoln,  hath  this  day,  sirs, 

Your  border  crossed  with  his  foul  crew, 
To  spoil,  and  burn,  and  slay,  sirs. 

"  I,  G.  T.  Beauregard  am  here, 

To  lead  you  on  to  battle ; 
By  all  Virginia  holds  most  dear, 

Drive  back  these  Northern  cattle ! 
'  Beauty  and  Booty '  is  their  cry2 — 

To  arms !  ye  Southern  braves, 
Strike  for  your  honor,  and  your  homes, 

Strike  for  your  wives  and — slaves !" 

"  Dear  me !"  said  Satan  to  his  imps, 

"  This  fellow  does  surpass  us, 
We've  followed  hard  this  Beauregard 

From  Charleston  to  Manassas. 
Live  and  learn,  imps !  here 's  a  skill 

That's  quite  above  your  level — 
Hats  off!  a  fiery  bumper  fill, 

To  him  who  beats  the  Devil !" 


Virginians  fired  with  frenzy,  rushed 

Their  services  to  proffer, 
And  answered  gentle  Beauregard, 

They'd  take  him  at  his  offer. 
But  while  they  talked  death  to  the  "  Yanks," 

And  took  their  rout  for  granted, 
The  mud-sills  stuck  to  sacred  soil, 

In  fact,  got  sort  o'  planted. 


1  See  Beauregard  Proclamation,  dated  ManaSsas,  June  5, 1801 . 

2  See  the  same. 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.  43 

They  blossomed  out  at  Arlington, 

And  rooted  in  the  West,  sir, 
And  waxing  fat  and  fearless,  grew 

As  boastful  as  the  rest,  sir ! 
'  Twixt  wrong  and  right  wa'  n't  much  to  choose, 

If  one  could  judge  by  bluster, — 
I  some  suspect,  it  was  a  ruse 

To  give  us  time  to  muster. 

For  just  as  some  began  to  say 

"We  'd  take  it  out  hi  talking, 
McDowell  bade  the  drummers  play, 

And  set  the  squad  a  walking.1 
Now  Beauregard  has  longish  ears,2 

That  reach  across  the  border, 
And  in  McDowell's  tent  he  hears 

Him  give  the  forward  order. 

"  My  men,"  said  he,  "  the  news  is  good, 

The  sheep  come  to  the  slaughter, 
Go,  mask  your  cannon  in  the  wood, 

The  Yanks  are  good  as  caught,  sir ; 
They  think  to  take  us  by  surprise," 

He  laughed  both  long  and  loud,  sir, 
While  swift  the  lightning  message  flies 

To  bring  Jo  Johnston's  crowd,  sir. 

Now  Scott  and  Abe  in  Washington, 

Their  fears  essayed  to  smother, 
When  word  was  brought  the  squad  had  gone 

They  looked  at  one  another. — 


1  July  20, 1861. 

2  It  is  said  a  lady  in  Washington  sent  Beauregard  intelligence  of 
McDowell's  movements. 


44  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Abe  shook  his  head  and  Scott  turned  pale, 
"  The  troops  are  quite  untrained,  sir." 

"They're  brave"  said  Abe  ;  "the  cause  is  just, 
That's  hah*  the  battle  gained,  sir." 

"  The  Jialf  won't  do" — Scott  glared  around, 

And  Abram  tried  to  laugh,  sir — 
Click !  click !  they  started  at  the  sound, 

It  was  the  telegraph,  sir. 
"  The  troops  fight  gallantly,"  it  read, 

(At  4  o'clock  'twas  dated), 
"  They  drive  the  foe  at  every  point, 

With  ardor  unabated." 

"  Now  Scott,"  said  Abe,  "  it 's  going  to  clear, 

That  message  comes  in  handy ; 
Turn  out  the  band,  I'd  like  to  hear 

Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy ;" 
And  all  the  people  cheered  and  wept 

And  grasped  each  other's  hand,  sir, 
And  tidings  of  the  vict'ry  swept, 

On  lightning  through  the  land,  sir. 

But  somehow,  as  the  music  rolled 

'Twas  followed  by  an  echo, 
And  men  to  men  in  whispers  told 

McDowell  had  a  check,  oh ! 
A  rumor,  born  of  rebel  spite — 

A  check !  the  thought  was  scouted, 
But  all  the  long  and  weary  night 

Men  dreamed,  and  hoped,  and  doubted. 

That  heavy  night  the  skies  were  lead, 
The  rain  in  torrents  fell,  sir, 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  45 

Good  Heavens ! — that  daylight  when  it  broke 

Should  such  a  story  tell,  sir ; 
For  Panic  seized  upon  the  troops, 

Just  as  the  field  was  won,  sir, 
And  those  who  fought  most  valiantly 

Most  valiantly  did  run,  sir. 

The  men  who  fought  nine  hours  so  well, 

Could  be  no  "  coward  crew,"  sir ; 
But  whence  their  rout,  'tis  hard  to  tell, 

For  no  one  ever  knew,  sir. 
Jeff  Davis  said,  "  The  Lord  had  come, 

And  fought  upon  their  side,"  sir ; 
"  If  that  be  so,"  said  General  Jo, 

"The  honors  well  divide,  sir." 

So  Jeff  promoted  Beauregard, 

Gave  Jo  a  better  living, 
And  to  the  "God  of  battles"  gave 

A  general  Thanksgiving.1 
The  Devil  walking  o'er  the  field, 

And  counting  out  his  dead,  sir, 
Called  to  his  imps,  "  A  splendid  yield, 

Nice  Sunday's  work,"  he  said,  sir. 

Said  General  Scott,  "  "Well,  Abe  my  man. 

We  '11  make  another  tack,  sir  ; 
This  comes  of  trying  Greeley's  plan, 

I'll  send  for  little  Mac,  sir."2 
"  Don't  start  on  Sunday,"  Abram  said, 

"  And  Scott,  how  many  fell,  sir  ? 


1  Thanksgiving  in  Kebcldom  July  28, 1861. 
s  McClellan  arrived  July  26, 1861. 


46  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Poor  boys !" — lie  meekly  bowed  his  head 
And  learned  his  lesson  well,  sir. 

Said  Jonathan,  "  Tho'  worst  is  worst, 

I  won't  be  called  a  noodle," 
He  lifts  his  banner  from  the  dust, 

And  whistles  Yankee  Doodle. 
He  wrote  to  Abe,  "  That  Southern  wind 

Blows  hard  against  our  shore,  sir, 
My  boys  will  take  the  train  to-night, 

Three  hundred  thousand  more,  sir." 


Before  the  echo  of  the  guns 

At  Bull  Bun  died  away,  sir, 
Fremont  to  Old  Missouri  went,1 

The  tide  of  war  to  stay,  sir, 
'Twas  surging  high,  the  foe  had  pressed 

And  Sigel  had  retreated.2 
The  rebs  before  they  'd  made  the  test 

Declared  the  Yanks  "  defeated." 

Now  Lyon  smarted  at  the  word, 

The  twenty  thousand  foe 
Were  pushing  on,  so  he  had  heard, 

His  little  band  should  throw 
Themselves  upon  him  in  his  camp, 

And  ere  the  morning  broke,3 
To  Wilson  Creek,  with  steady  tramp 

They  went,  and  dealt  their  stroke. 

1  Up  to  this  time  the  West  had  taken  care  of  itself.    Lyon  had  or 
ganized  his  little  band  himself.    His  entire  force  did  not  exceed  7,000. 
The  rebel  troops  still  increasing  were  about  30,000.     In  vain  Lyon 
begged  for  aid  from  Washington. 

2  After  the  battle  of  Carthage. 

3  August  10, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  47 

A  bold,  brave  stroke  for  Liberty, 

And  in  the  sharp,  quick  strife, 
He  led  the  last  decisive  charge, 

And  sacrificed  his  life ; 
And  not  in  vain  the  heroes  fought, 

They  stayed  the  rebel  wave, 
And  won  the  thanks  of  this  free  land, 

That  Lyon  died  to  save. 

McCullough  slipped  to  Arkansas, 

Away  from  Yankee  shooting ; 
Fremont  proclaimed  his  martial  law, 

And  both  began  recruiting. 
The  rebels  did  the  best  at  this, 

There 's  nothing  could  be  stranger, 
But  then,  you  see,  their  capital 

Was  not  in  any  danger. 

Abe  needed  all  his  troops  out  East, 

Where  Mac  was  organizing  ; 
The  need  of  men  so  much  increased, 

It  was  in  fact  surprising 
How  long  Fi*emont  kept  up  a  show, 

And  held  the  rebs  at  bay,  sir ; 
What  shifts  they  made  to  cheat  the  foe 

Brave  Mulligan  might  say,1  sir. 

But  somehow  Abe  was  not  well  pleased, 

There  must  be  something  wrong 
When  traitors  under  Fremont's  care, 

Had  grown  so  very  strong. 


1  At  Lexington  on  the  20th  September,  1861,  an  army  of  25,000  rebels, 
after  eight  days'  siege,  and  three  days  of  hard  fight,  succeeded  in  cap 
turing  2,700,  under  Mulligan,  whose  provisions,  water  and  ammuni 
tion  had  entirely  given  out. 


48  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  fact  was  simply  that  the  times 

Prolific,  sir,  of  treason, 
Had  'mongst  a  multitude  of  wants, 

A  dreadful  want  of  reason. 

Thus,  when  Fremont  went  out  at  length, 

With  his  bold  body  guard, 
An  order  came  from  Washington, 

That  did  his  march  retard ; 
And  Hunter l  nipped  his  brave  campaign 

Eight  in  the  very  bud,  sir, 
And  marched  his  army  back  again 

To  wait  for  winter's  mud,  sir.2 

When  looking  back  those  times  we  see, 

We  cannot  help  but  wonder, 
If  rebels  in  so  great  degree 

Heaped  blunder  upon  blunder. 
Well,  Halleck  went  to  straighten  things,3 

And  put  the  traitors  down, 
Where  w6  must  leave  him  for  a  space, 

To  look  in  Richmond  town. 

1  Hunter  superseded  Fremont  on  November  3, 1861. 

2  "  Months  after  an  army  under  Curtis,  pursuing  the  same  plan, 
marched  over  the  same  ground  to  obtain  Little  Eock.    It  was  mid-win 
ter,  and  the  troops  toiled  through  mud  and  storm.    They  met  the  foe 
at  Pea  Ridge." — Abbots  History,  page  29. 

3  Nov.  10, 1861,  Halleck  placed  in  command  of  department  of  the  West. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN  Richmond  there  was  blustering 

A  fabulous  amount,  sir, 
And  Jeff  &  Co.  in  secret  went 

To  audit  their  account,  sir. 
They  shut  the  door,  else  they  might  hear 

Outside  the  wounded  groan ; 
The  guard  they  placed  as  sentinel 

Was  whittling  Yankee  bone.1 

"  Our  plans,"  said  Jeff,  "  begin  at  length 

In  beauty  to  unfold,  sir, 
Manassas'  field  has  proved  our  strength, 

How  are  we  off  for  gold,  sir  ?  " 
Said  Memminger,2  "  I  do  infer, 

Our  banks  are  somewhat  rotten, 
And  in  the  end,  we  must  depend 

For  basis,  sir,  on  cotton." 

Said  Robert  Toombs, "  There's  something  looms 

Up  like  an  apparition, 
All  luminous  with  golden  light, 

I  mean  our  Eecognition." 

1  "  The  bones  of  the  legs  were  taken  for  drum  sticks ;  ear-rings  and 
finger-rings  were  carved  ont  pf  Yankee  bones,  to  send  as  souvenirs  to 
the  female  rebels.  Yankee  skulls  were  mounted  for  goblets  and  punch 
bowls."—^  Senate  Report,  April  30, 1862. 

9  Rebel  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 

n  (49) 


50  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Aha !  "  said  Walker,  "  you  may  talk, 

'Tis  but  a  film  of  fancy, 
Or  I  divine  we  'd  have  a  line 

From  our  commissioner  Yancey."  ' 

Said  Jeff,  "  You  know  the  foreign  post 

Is  now  somewhat  unhandy, 
Since  the  blockade  Old  Abe  has  laid 

For  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
Those  diplomats  have  all  been  paid, 

Our  envoys  can't  be  idle, 
Negotiations  must  be  made, 

I  '11  Mason  send,  and  Slidell." 

E'en  while  he  spoke,  a  voice  outside 

His  eloquence  destroyed,  sir, 
A  clatter,  as  when  thieves  do  ride, 

And  in  rushed  Mr.  Floyd,  sir. 
"  Give  me,"  said  he,  all  out  of  breath, 

"  A  little  drop  of  brandy ! 
For  oh !  I  'm  whipped  *  well  nigh  to  death 

By  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

"  Now  Floyd,"  said  Jeff,  "  no  joking  here, 

You  disarrange  our  plans,  sir, 
You  mean  to  say  you  've  stolen  a  march 

From  General  Bosecrans,  sir. 
There !  there !  retire !  go  to  the  West, 

Where  war  is  just  begun,  sir, 
And  bear  in  mind,  however  pressed, 

The  chivalry  don't  run,  sir." 

1  "  Very  soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  government  at  Montgom 
ery,  three  commissioners  were  sent  to  Europe.  The  mission,  we  now 
fear,  was  premature. "—Charleston  Mercury,  Oct.  26, 18C1. 

*  September  10th,  Carnifex  Ferry  ;  November  14th,  McCoy's  Mills ; 
and  November  20tb,  Gauley  Bridge. 


TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  51 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know !  we  11  never  fly 

Before  the  oppressor's  might,  sir, 
But,  zounds,  who  was  it  raised  the  lie 

That  Yankees  wouldn't  fight,  sir  ?  " 
"  In  some  respects,"  said  Jeff,  "  are  we 

Mistaken,  I  'm  afraid,  sir, 
These  hirelings,  they  will  fight  or  flee 

According  as  they 're  paid,  sir." 

"  When  Twiggs  surrendered  his  command 

No  soldier  in  the  lot,  sir, 
Would  take  our  gold,  but  overland 

Keported  to  Old  Scott,  sir.1 
I  'm  told  they  came  in,  sir,  on  foot, 

Commanded  by  a  sergeant, 
The  roll  complete,  one  man  o'ercome 

With  too  much  of  the  ardent, — 

"  Dropped  by  the  way, — they  left  him  drunk 

'Twas  somewhere  down  hi  Texas. 
In  two  weeks  tune,  with  cursed  spunk, 

(That  specially  doth  vex  us, 
It's  so  opposed  to  theory,) 

The  fellow  torn  and  dirtied, 
Limped  in,  alarmed  for  fear  Old  Abe 

Would  think  he  had  deserted." 

"  But,"  added  Floyd,  "  we  have  the  blood, 
They  're  base  born  and  the  scum,  sir, 

They  've  got  a  fighting  fever  now, 
They  '11  in  ffie  end  succumb,  sir ; 

'Tis  pity  though,  'tis  fallacy 
About  our  whipping  ten 

1  The  troops  left  in  Texas,  without  a  commander,  by  the  treason  of 
Twiggs,  arrived  in  New  York  April  11, 1861. 


62  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

To  one,  O  Jefferson  !  can  we 
Supply  the  drain  of  men  ?  " 

Says  Jeff,  "  One  thing  is  hard  to  see 

Our  soldiers,  how  they  eat,  sir, 
Here's  Lee  already  writes  to  me, 

He 's  short  of  bread  and  meat,  sir." 
"  "Why !  didn't  they  capture  at  Bull  Bun 

Enough  to  last  a  year,  sir  ?  " 
"  Ahem, — 'twas  stated  so,  'twas  done 

To  please  the  people's  ear,  sir." 

Said  Mallory,  "  A  way  I  see, 

You  spoke  just  now  of  gold,  sir, 
My  pirates  free  will  plough  the  sea, 

They  are  both  brave  and  bold,  sir. 
The  Sumter 1  is  invincible, 

She  '11  lay,  sir,  an  embargo, 
Protected  by  the  British  flag, 

On  every  Yankee  cargo. 

"  I  've  a  despatch  here  in  my  hand, 

I  've  not  had  time  to  read,  sirs, 
The  contents  1 11  examine  now, 

If  you  are  all  agreed,  sirs." 
He  broke  the  seal — the  cypher  scanned, 

Said  he,  "  The  Yankee  banner 
Is  floating  free,  sir,  from  the  mast 

Of  privateer  Savannah.2 

"  She  met  the  Perry  on  her  track, 
And  felt  herself  quite  cranky, 


i  Ran  the  blockade  out  of  New  Orleans  harbor  June  29, 1861. 
s  Captured  June  15, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  53 

She  caught  a  tartar,  sir ;  in  fact, 

Was  captured  by  the  Yankee." 
The  Petrel  too,  that  stout  gunboat, 

As  spunky  as  a  ship,  sir, 
Of  all  her  timbers  that's  afloat, 

You  'd  scarcely  find  a  chip,  sir." 

"  Whew ! "  said  Jeff,  "  and  (hat 's  your  best ! 

It  is  n't,  sir,  reliable ; 
It  can  at  least,  sir,  be  suppressed, 

Our  editors  are  buyable." 
Said  Mallory,  "  Don't  bite  your  lips, 

But  hdf  the  story 's  told,  sir, 
The  Sumter  's  taken  seventy  ships, 

And  quite  her  iveight  in  gold,  sir." 

"  Ah !  that  indeed  will  do  to  tett, 

The  people  must  have  fun,  sir, 
Just  publish  that,  with  what  befell 

The  Yankees  at  Bull  Kun,  sir." 
Said  Benjamin,  the  Jew,  said  he, 

"  'Twill  do,  sir,  by  Gehenna, 
To  speak  of  Schenck  and  Butler,  too, 

At  Bethel '  and  Vienna." 2 

"  Stay !  a  postscript — '  naval  fight,' 

And  '  Barren  is  checkmated.' 
'  Forts  Hatteras  and  Clark  last  night  * 

Were  both  evacuated.' " 
"  Oh,  dear !  "  said  Memminger,  "  't  is  clear, 

These  cowardly  invaders 
Have  laid  a  trap  to  catch,  I  fear, 

Our  valuable  blockaders." 

Big  Bethel,  June  10, 1861.  »  Vienna,  June  17, 1861. 

3  August  29, 1361. 


54  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 


A  knock  upon  the  outer  door, 

"A  messenger  from  Polk,  sir." 
Jeff  scanned  the  missive  o'er  and  o'er, 

At  last  the  seal  he  broke,  sir : 
"  Dear  Jeff, — Missouri's  lost,  at  least, 

I  take  it,  sir,  for  Granted. ; 
Belmont '  is  captured,  and  our  guns 

Are  spiked,  sir,  or  transplanted. 

"  And  here 's  from  Drayton, — here 's  a  treat, 

It's  something  emphasized,  sir, 
Dupont  and  Sherman,  with  a  fleet, 

Port  Royal  have  surprised,  sir."  2 
Jeff  strove  in  vain  to  catch  his  breath, 

His  hair  he  wildly  tore,  sir, 
Then  pale  as  "  Bull  Bun  Yank  "  in  death, 

He  fell  upon  the  floor,  sir. 

They  lifted  him,  the  case  was  bad, 

All  rebeldom  did  sigh,  sir, 
The  doctors  came,  and  said  Jeff  had 

"  Neuralgia  in  the  eye,"  sir. 
•    They  sent  for  Johnstone  in  a  trice, 

He  said  the  remedy,  sir, 
(If  they  would  follow  his  advice,) 

Was  Fabian  Policy,  sir. 

"  I  differ  from  you  quite,"  said  Lee, 

(The  wisest  man  extant,  sir,) 
"  I  would  apply,  if  I  were  he, 

A  counter  irritant,  sir." 
"  "When  doctors  disagree,"  said  Bragg, 

"  Why,  leave  the  case  alone,  sir, 

1  November  7, 1861,  by  Gen.  Grant.  2  December  8, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  55 

'Tis  safe  to  wait  to-morrow's  news." 
Jeff  gave  a  feeble  groan,  sir. 

To-morrow  came.     Said  Bragg,  "  I  've  learned 

Our  plans  are  unfulfilled,  sir, 
As  far  as  Old  Kentuck's  concerned, 

For  Zollicoffer  's  killed,1  sir." 
King  Jeff  arose ; — said  he,  "  'Tis  time, 

My  duty  1 11  not  shirk,  sir, 
Mere  idleness  is  now  a  crime, 

Let  every  man  to  work,  sir." 

"  I  own  last  night  by  press  of  news 

My  nerves  did  much  disturb  me  ; 
I  owe  this  morn  a  perfect  cure 

Unto  the  Earl  of  Derby. 
Bead  this  my  friend. — The  London  Times 

(For  us  so  interested) 
Says  Derby  (who  the  Gov'ment  primes,) 

To  Johnny  Bull  suggested,2 

"  That  ships  out  bound  should  signals  make 

To  those  they  met  from  home,  sir, 
That  '  War  with  Brother  Jonathan 

Most  probably  would  come,  sir.' 
"  Those  chaps  at  last  begin  to  see 

They  '11  profit  by  our  winning, 
The  tide  will  turn,  'tis  clear  to  me 

That  this  is  the  beginning. 

"  You  see  that  lucky  Trent  affair 
Has  opened  Johnny's  eyes,  sir, 


January  19, 1853,  at  Mill  Spring,  Kentucky. 
December  14, 1861. 


56  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

We  're  all  right  now,  'tis  glorious. 

Old  Mason,  if  he  tries,  sir, 
Can  never  do  a  better  thing, 

So  far  as  toe 're  concerned,  sir, 
Than  Wilkes  did  for  him — by  the  by, 

To  show  how  things  haw  turned,  sir, 

"  They  're  sending  troops  to  Canada ; 

I'm  told  the  British  band, 
Just  as  the  transports  left  the  docks, 

Played  out  our  '  Dixie's  Land ;' 
His  '  Yankee  Doodle '  Abe  will  find, 

Is  left  quite  in  the  lurch,  sir, 
For  Johnny  Bull  will  not  submit 

To  Yankee  Eight  of  Search,  sir. 

"  The  South  will  ne  'er  be  subjugated, 

What  though  her  sons  are  killed? 
With  pride  and  scorn  still  unabated 

She  '11  have  her  daughters  drilled ; 
And,  if  more  yet  of  blood  and  life 

The  insatiate  Lincoln  craves,  sir, 
We  '11  still  defy  him  in  the  strife, 

For  then  vie  'tt  arm  our  slaves,  sir. 

"  And  after  that,"  (Jeff  raised  his  voice 

To  such  an  angry  pitch,  sir, 
Said  he^)  "  why  then  well  go  ourselves 

And  die  in  the  last  ditch,  sir. 
Excuse  me  now,  dear  Captain  Bragg, 

I  hope  I'm  not  uncivil, 
But  I  will  lower  the  Yankee  flag 

If  I  enlist  the  Devil  I!"1 

1  "  Onr  people  were  greatly  surprised  on  Saturday  morning  to  see  the 
Black  Flag  waving  over  the  Depot  of  the  Va.  and  Tenn.  E.  R.  We  are 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  57 

That  night  a  stranger  came  to  town 

Lank  and  long  and  wary, 
He  said  that  Jeff  had  sent  him  down 

To  be  a  commissary 
Of  prisons,  sir,  for  "  1 know  beans" 

(He  used  his  tongue  quite  glibly), 
"I'm  fertile,  sir,  in  ways  and  means, 

And  I'll  begin  at  Libby." 

From  this  time  on,  till  weary  months 

Have  grown  to  weary  years,  sir, 
One  long  shrill  wail  of  agony 

Doth  fill  the  nation's  ear,  sir ; 
Though  fierce  the  clangor  of  the  field, 

And  battle  shrieks  and  groans, 
From  Anderson,  and  Belle  Isle,  still 

Comes  up  this  undertone. 

Said  Jeff,  "  I  don't  sleep  well  at  night, 

My  dreams  are  much  disturbed,  sir, 
The  people  can't  see  things  aright, 

Their  growlings  must  be  curbed,  sir. 
'  No  wood,'  '  no  brooms,'  *  no  leather,' '  lead,' 

'  No  salt !' — have  they  forgotten, 
How  long  ago  it  was  they  said 

They  'd  every  thing  in  cotton  f 

"  Those  Tennesseeans  bother  me, 

The  fools  are  stiff  as  pokers," 
Says  Polk,1  "An  easy  remedy, 

Would  be  some  hempen  chokers." 


for  displaying  that  flag  throughout  the  whole  South."— LyncKburg 
Republican. 
1  Bishop  Polk,  General  commanding  in  Tennessee. 

8* 


58  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  First  catch  your  hare," '  said  Jefferson, 
"  These  rascally  low  scamps,  sir, 

In  crowds  across  the  hills  have  gone, 
Into  the  Yankee  camps,  sir. 

"  The  woods  are  full  of  fleeing  men, 

All  heading  for  Kentucky ; 
The  loss  of  so  much  muscle,  sir, 

Is  deucedly  unlucky. 
I  '11  blood-hounds 2  send  along  the  line, 

They  've  dared  to  vex  us  thus,  sir, 
They  11  see ! — the  hunting  will  be  fine, 

I  '11  stop  the  exodus,  sir." 

Says  Cobb,  "  "We  've  got  the  people's  cash, 

They  '11  hardly  live  on  air,  sir, 
They  may  do  something  rather  rash, 

Unless  we  speak  them  fair,  sir  ; 
I  would  advise  you  to  supply 

A  circulating  medium, 
'Twill  serve  to  hush  that  silly  cry, 

And  interrupt  their  tedium." 

So  agents  went  throughout  the  land, 
And  lots  of  cotton  seized,  sir, 

Jeff  gave  for  it  his  note  of  hand, 
And  all  the  rebels  pleased,  sir  ; 

For  principal  and  the  increase 
It"C.  S.  A."  did  bind,  sir, 


»  See  Mrs.  Glass'  Cookery. 

a  Note.—"  We  the  undersigned  will  pay  five  dollars  per  pair  for  fifty 
pairs  of  well  bred  hounds,  and  fifty  dollars  for  one  pair  of  thorough 
bred  blood-hounds,  that  will  take  the  track  of  a  man.  The  purposes 
for  which  these  dogs  are  wanted  is  to  chase  the  infernal  cowardly  bush 
whackers  of  East  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  to  their  dens  and  capturo 
them.  Signed,  p.  N.  MC'NAIB.  H.  H.  HARRIS.— Bowling  Green  Courier, 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  59 

To  pay  in  six  months  after  peace J 
"With  Uncle  Sam  was  signed,  sir. 

Jeff  rubbed  his  hands,  "  We  've  sprung  a  mine, 

This  cotton  will  be  sold,  sir, 
To  Johnny  Bull,  who,  I  divine 

Is  ready  with  the  gold,  sir." 
But  Johnny  Bull  is  sly  and  wise, 

He  bargained  for  free  trade,  sir, 
And  sent  his  ships  of  merchandise 

To  run  Old  Abe's  blockade,  sir. 

Of  shoes  and  blankets,  he  foresaw  • 

There  'd  be  no  intermission 
Of  wear  and  tear, — he  said,  "In  war 

One  must  have  ammunition. 
Ill  be  consistent  too,"  said  he, 

"  To  principles  of  old,  sir, 
I  hate  this  horrid  slavery, 

I  always  did  love  gold,  sir." 

So  Johnny  Bull  to  Abraham  wrote, 

In  rather  saucy  tones. 
It  seems,  in  Charleston  Harbor,  Abe 

Had  dumped  a  load  of  stones.2 
The  act,  the  like  was  ne'er  before, 

Created  a  sensation, 
It  did,  as  Johnny  loudly  swore, 

Impede  his  navigation. 

John  said, — "Abe  had  no  right  to  do 
So  violent  a  deed,  sir." — 


1  See  Confederate  Notes. 

2  Stone  Fleet  sunk  20th  December  1861. 


60  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Abe  read  his  little  missive  through, 
And  smiled  as  he  did  read,  sir. 

Said  he,  "  If  pigs  get  in  my  field, 
Or  if  a  burrowing  mole,  sir, 

Gnaws  at  my  trees,  I  shall  not  yield 
My  right  to  stop  his  hole,  sir. 

"  If  Johnny  Bull  don't  like  the  way 

Our  house-keeping  goes  on,  sir, 
Just  tell  him,  Seward,  he  can  stay 

Where  Englishmen  are  born,  sir." 
But  Seward  wrote, — "  The  stones  are  few, 

And  scarcely  worth  the  mention, 
Since  John  had  made  the  passage  through 

Before  his  intervention." ' 

Then  John,  who  always,  sir,  is  great 

In  small  retaliation, 
Proclaimed  an  order  of  the  State 

Forbidding  exportation 
Of  fire-arms  and  gunpowder, 

Of  brimstone,  lead,  and  nitre, 
Then  set  to  building  rebel  ships, 

With  conscience  made  much  lighter. 

1  See  Correspondence  on  the  Stone  Fleet. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

.  Now  all  this  time,  Abe  sore  amazed 

The  country  tried  to  mend, 
And  dimly  in  the  future  gazed, 

And  sought,  but  found  no  end. 
Said  he,  "  Things  are  so  jumbled  up 

It 's  hard  to  find  the  clew,  sir ; 
But  Yankee  Doodle  has  the  job, 

And  we  shall  worry  through,  sir. 

"  There 's  Butler  down  in  Fort  Monroe,1 

I  don't  like  his  intrusion ; 
He 's  lugging  in  our  friend  Sambo, 

Just  to  increase  confusion. 
And  Fremont's  worse,  he  wants  to  lead,9 

Sounds  Freedom's  trumpet  tone ; 
I  wish  they  'd  do  their  own  hard  work, 

And  let  the  LORD'S  alone. 

"  And  Johnny  Bull  thinks  we  are  down, 

And  slyly  plans  a  gore ; 
.And  shakes  at  us  his  horned  head, 

And  gives  a  biggish  roar. 
And  Wilkes  has  cut  all  our  red  tape,3 

It  should  have  served  to  bridle 

1  General  Butler  in  May  declared  escaped  slaves  to  be  contraband 
of  war  and  entitled  to  freedom.    See  his  letter  of  May  27,  1861. 

2  See  Fremont's  proclamation  of  August   freeing  the  slaves  of 
Missouri. 

s  Captain  Wilkes  took  Mason  and  Slidell  from  the  "  Trent,"  Novem* 
ber  8, 1861. 

(61) 


62  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

His  wrath  at  treason,  in  the  shape 
Of  Mason,  sir,  and  SlidelL" 

"  Why !  what 's  the  matter  now  ?"  said  Scott, 

"It  is  that  Slidell  pack,  sir? 
"Well,  hang  the  traitors,  since  they're  caught." 

Says  Abe,  "7'11  send  them  back,  sir. 
One  war 's  enough,  Scott,  at  a  time — 

It  ain't  that  England 's  strong,  sir — 
She 's  got  the  law  upon  her  side, 

We  can't  fight  in  the  wrong,  sir. 

"  And  then  there 's  Sherman  in  the  West, 

His  views  are  dreadful  hazy ; 
My  fears  I  haven't  yet  confessed — 

The  papers  say  he 's  crazy. 
I  sent  to  him,  the  other  day, 

To  make  some  estimates,  sir, 
What  troops  he  'd  need  to  drive  the  rebs 

Out  of  the  Western  States,  sir ; 

And  Sherman  actually  said, 

He  'd  call  them  very  lucky 
If  sixty  thousand  men  could  drive 

The  rebels  from  Kentucky. 
And  as  to  putting  matters  through, 

And  finishing  the  fight,  sir, 
The  sixty  thousand  would  not  do, 

Two  hundred  thousand  might,  sir." 

"  I  always  knew,"  said  General  Scott, 
"  The  war.  was  going  to  spread,  sir ; 

I  don't  believe,  as  Seward  thought, 
'Twill  come  to  any  head,  sir. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  63 

The  poison  scatters  through  the  land — 
North,  South  and  West  all  o'er ; 

If  we  do  break  our  Union  band, 
We  '11  break  it  into  four." 

"  It  shdl  not  break,"  said  Abraham, 

"  The  rebs  can't  have  their  swing,  sir ; 
Old  Jonathan  will  not  submit 

To  any  such  a  thing,  sir. 
That  Bull  Run  business,  Scott,  I  fear, 

The  rebs  has  greatly  nattered ; 
But  when  we  've  fairly  made  a  move, 

They  '11  easily  be  scattered." 

"Well,  Abe,"  said  Scott,  "McClellan's  here, 

In  tactics  he  is  skilled,  sir ; 
The  city 's  safe,  the  way  is  clear, 

The  troops  are  now  well  drilled,  sir. 
I  'm  old,  and  tired  out  with  work, 

To  vertigo  inclined,  sir ; 
This  war,  I  do  not  like  to  shirk, 

But,  Abe,  I  have  resigned,  sir.".1 


Now  little  Mac  all  through  the  fall 

Had  organized  his  army ; 
'Twas  nearly  ready.     All  at  once, 

With  something  of  alarm,  he 
Discovered  that  the  mighty  West 

Was  almost  unprotected ; 
There  was,  in  fact,  a  state  of  things 

He  never  had  suspected. 

1  General  Scott  resigned  1st  November,  18C1. 


64  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

'Twould  never  do  for  him  to  make 

Initiative  movement 
Until  the  West  had  undergone 

A  radical  improvement. 
They  had  been  fighting  quite  too  soon- 

A  terrible  disorder, 
In  fact,  a  very  chaos,  reigned 

Along  the  Western  border. 

So  Mac  told  Halleck  what  was  wrong,1 

He  was,  indeed,  quite  sure 
"  Fremont  had  been  indulged  too  long 

In  rash  expenditure. 
His  contracts  must  be  overhauled, 

And  it  was  to  be  shown,  sir, 
His  troops  had  legally  been  raised," 

So  little  had  been  known,  sir, 

About  the  Western  volunteers, 

And  their  neglected  plight, 
One  thing  alone  was  very  clear, 

Thai  they  knew  how  to  fight. 
'Tis  true  Fremont  had  gone  to  work 

And  built  a  fleet  of  boats,  sir, 
For  Uncle  Sam  at  Cairo,  where 

The  iron-clads  did  float,  sir. 

The  Western  boys  Mac  rendezvoused 
With  Foote  and  Grant  at  hand,  sir ; 

And  down  at  Louisville  there  stood 
Don  BuelTs  brave  command,  sir. 

Their  skirmishes  were  very  thick 
In  Old  Kentuck ;  the  rattle 

1  Letter  to  Halleck,  November  11, 1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  65 

Of  musketry  ere  long  was  trained 
At  Mill  Spring  to  a  battle  ;* 

"Where  Thomas  led  the  willing  boys 

Out  to  their  first  real  fight,  sir ; 
And  when  the  traitor  host  came  on 

They  shrank  not  at  the  sight,  sir, 
But  veteran-like,  stood  to  the  foe — 

Stood  brave  and  steadily ; 
And  from  the  chaos  of  the  blow 

Worked  out  a  victory. 

The  rebels  mustered  in  their  men — 

The  Mississippi  river 
They  closed  at  Island  Number  Ten — 

The  West  was  in  a  quiver. 
Fort  Pillow  sprang  up,  then  they  were 

No  longer  in  the  dark,  sir, 
When  Beauregard,  upon  his  map, 

At  Vicksburg  made  a  mark,  sir. 

And  this  while  Mac  in  Washington 

Paraded  in  full  feather, 
And  sat  for  his  daguerreotype, 

And  waited  for  bad  weather, 
Till  JONATHAN  in  wrath  did  speak ; 

Said  he,  "  A  pretty  sight,  sir, 
This  dallying  from  week  to  week — 

My  boys  came  out  to  fight,  sir. 

"  Old  Abe,  I  am  ashamed  of  you, 

It 's  like  you  were  demented, 
When  all  the  country 's  in  a  stew 

A-sitting  down  contented, 

1  January  19, 18G2. 


66  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

A-holding  back  the  boys  that  fret 
Their  span  new  guns  to  prove,  sir, 

Until  your  army 's  grown  so  big, 
They  say  it  cannot  move,  sir. 

"  The  rebs  have  been  all  wide  awake, 

While  you  and  Mac  have  dosed,  sir ; 
They  boast  they  can  your  city  take, 

They  have  the  river  closed,  sir.1 
The  sight  is  sad  to  contemplate — 

We  've  sent  our  sons  to  chase 
The  rebel  horde — you  smile  and  wait, 

Ignoring  the  disgrace. 

"  What  do  we  care  for  grand  reviews,2 

And  epaulets  and  feathers, 
And  patent  tents  and  patent  shoes3 

Impervious  to  all  weathers  ? 
The  West  is  roused  to  such  a  pitch, 

Delay  it  will  not  brook,  sir, 
If  you  don't  move  this  general  hitch 

We  'U  fight  on  our  own  hook,  sir." 

Said  Abe  to  Mac,  "We  'd  better  try  it ; 

What  is  your  bulletin,  sir  ?" 
"  On  the  Potomac  all  is  quiet," 

The  General  did  begin,  sir. 


1  Flag-officer  Craven  reported  the  Potomac  river  effectually  block 
aded  by  rebel  batteries,  October  22, 1861. 

3  November  26,  1861.  "The  review  was  a  grand  display,  nearly 
100,000  men,  a  grand  display  of  power  ;  but  it  passed  away  like  the 
reviews  which  had  preceded  it,  and  quiet  once  more  settled  on  the 
Potomac.1  '—Headley. 

3  "  McClellan  is  beset  with  all  kinds  of  inventors,  contractors,  etc. 
He  mostly  indorses  their  suggestions,  and  on  this  authority  the  most 
extravagant  orders  are  given  to  the  War  Department." — Gaurawski's 
Diary,  1861. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  67 

"  Oh !  yes,  I  know,  but,  sirs,  the  rebs 

You  need  not  try  to  bund  them, 
They  '11  never  come  when  waited  for, 

You'd  better  go  and  find  them. 

"  This  quietness  don't  suit  the  boys, 

It  looks  too  much  like  fear,  sir, 
They  'd  rather  have  a  little  noise, 

"When  traitors  are  so  near,  sir." 
McClellan  stood  with  folded  arms 

( He  was  a  handsome  man,  sir, ) 
"I'm  not  quite  ready  yet,"  he  said, 

Said  he,  "I  have  a  plan,  sir." 

The  blood  flew  up  in  Abram's  face, 

He  rose,  pushed  back  his  chair, 
Took  up  his  hat,  with  rapid  pace 

Walked  straight  out  down  the  stair. 
That  night  Mac  got  a  little  note, 

"This  is  your  troops  to  warn,  sir," 
('Twas  thus  that  Abram  Lincoln  wrote,) l 

"They'll  move  to-morrow  morn,  sir." 

Now  little  Mac  twirled  his  moustache, 

And  then  began  to  scold, 
Said  he,  "  Old  Abe  is  growing  rash 

And  difficult  to  hold  ; 
We  're  all  so  comfortable  here, 

I  never  would  have  thought,  sirs, 
He  'd  have  the  heart  to  drive  us  clear 

Out  of  our  winter  quarters." 

"  Besides,  I'm  very  far  from  well — 
To  give  me  time  to  rally, 

1  President  Lincoln's  order  No.  1,  dated  27th  January,  1862. 


68  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  write  my  speech,  so  it  will  tell, 
I'll  send  Banks  down  the  valley." 

So  down  the  valley  Banks  did  go, 
And  left  McClellan  sick,  sir  ; 

Bight  gallantly  his  troops  went  out, 
They  came  back  double  quick,  sir. 


McClellan  went  to  bed  and  sent 

For  homoeopathic  doctors ; 
While  General  Burnside  sailing  went 

To  give  the  rebs  a  shock,  sirs  ; 
Three  weeks  and  more,  his  fleet  storm  tossed 

Found  fighting  was  no  joke, 
Then  just  as  Abe  pronounced  them  lost, 

Turned  up  at  Roanoke. 

Now  Henry  "Wise,  of  John  Brown  fame, 

At  Roanoke  commanded, 
But  lying  ill  when  Burnside  came 

And  all  his  cannon  landed, 
He  couldn't  hang  the  General 

As  he  had  hung  John  Brown,  sir, 
Nor  could  reb  gunboats  keep  his  fleet 

From  taking  Newbern  town,  sir.1 

Thus  Burnside  went,  to  prove  no  boast 

What  Abram  did  report,  sir, 
He  sailed  along  the  rebel  coast 

And  "re-possessed  ffie  forts,"  sir. 
Old  Jonathan  cried  out,  "Well  done!" 

And  Sambo  shouted  "  Glory  !  " 
Which  in  this  place,  as  Abe  would  say, 

Reminds  me  of  a  story. 

>  March  14th,  1S62. 


CHAPTEE    IX. 

WHEN  first  the  rebs  began  to  shoot 

At  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy, 
They  counted  Sambo  in  "  to  boot," 

They  said  "  He  'd  work  in  handy." 
While  master  led  the  chivalry 

At  home  he  'd  keep  the  pot  on, 
Would  cure  the  bacon,  grind  the  corn, 

And  cultivate  the  cotton. 

"  The  mud-sills,  on  the  other  hand, 

Unless  ubiquitous,  sir, 
Would  have  no  tillers  of  the  land ; 

The  Yanks  iniquitous,  sir, 
Would  reap  destruction  close  at  home, 

The  while  they  sowed  abroad — 
Supported  by  no  Patriarch's  rule, 

And  governed  by  no  God. 

"  The  servile  race  was  trained  so  well, 

In  case  of  a  disaster 
Why,  Sam  would  hasten  to  the  field, 

And  battie  for  his  master." 
Well,  Sambo  toiled  and  Sambo  dreamed, 

And  nothing  Sambo  spoke,  sir, 
Till  Yankee  guns  and  bay'nets  gleamed, 

And  sleeping  Sambo  woke,  sir. 

(69) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Ole  Missus,"  rising  in  the  morn. 

And  very  much  belated, 
Declared  the  house  felt  all  forlorn — 

And  strange !  no  breakfast  waited. 
For  Sambo  Cook  the  night  before, 

All  suddenly  inspired, 
Had  closed  outside  his  cabin  door, — 

In  Sunday  clothes  attired — 

With  Dinah  and  the  little  ones, 

Had  taken,  in  the  damp, 
And  cold,  and  dark,  the  road  that  runs 

Into  the  Yankee  camp. 
Abe's  generals  saw  the  tide  set  in, 

It  wasn't  to  their  notion ; 
Same  did  with  their  small  brooms  begin 

To  sweep  back,  sir,  the  ocean. 

Said  they,  "Our  well  digested  plan, 

Our  duty  strict  defines, 
These  fugitives,  sirs,  never  can, 

Come  thus  within  our  lines." ' 
Ben  Butler  down  in  Fort  Monroe 

Held  Sambo  out  his  hand,  sir, 
Said  he,  "  You  're  free  to  come  or  go, 

My  worthy  Contraband,"  sir. 

And  some  cried  out  that  Mac 2  was  right, 
And  some  hurrahed  for  Ben,  sir, 


1  See  General  Order  No.  33,  Department  of  Washington,  July  IT, 
1861.    Halleck's  proclamation  of  February  23, 1862.    General  Buoll's 
letter  of  March  6th,  1862,  to  Hon.  J.  R.  Underwood.    General  Hooker's 
letter,  March  26,  1862.    General  McClellan's  letter  to  President  Lin 
coln,  July  7th,  1862. 

2  Extract  from  General  McClellan'g  letter  to  President  Lincoln,  July 
7th,  1862,  Camp  near  Harrison's  Landing:    " Neither  confiscation  of 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  71 

Some  said  that  Sambo  was  &  fright, 
That  black  folks  were  not  men,  sir, 

But  beasts  of  burden  ;  (it  was  clear 
As  any  point  in  law,  sir,) 

That  Sambo  shortly  would  appear 
The  chief  man  in  the  war,  sir. 

Some  didn't  fight  for  Sambo's  cause, 

But  just  to  save  the  nation  ; 
The  Constitution  and  the  laws 

Had  well  defined  his  station. 
Old  Hunter  swore  the  slaves  had  souls, 

And  perfect  right  to  freedom, 
Were  stretching  out  towards  this  goal, 

Would  fight,  and  he  would  lead  them. 

And  Lincoln,  in  a  groping  way, 

Surmised  'twould  trouble  save,  sir, 
If  Congress  would  the  rebels  pay 

To  liberate  the  slaves,1  sir. 
Then  sent  a  Governor  Stanley  down 

The  stubborn  rebs  to  rule,  sir, 
Who  ordered  straight  in  Newbern  town, 

To  close  the  colored  schools,  sir.'2 

Old  Jonathan  pricked  up  his  ear, 

Said  he,  "  What  is  this  clatter, 
About  the  black  man  that  I  hear  ? 

It  is  a  serious  matter, 
For  us  who  happen  to  be  white 

Our  brother's  skin  to  mark,  sir ; 

property,  political  executions  of  persons,  territorial  organization  of 
states,  nor  forcible  abolition  of  slavery,  should  be  contemplated  for  a 
moment." 

1  See  message  of  Gth  March,  1862. 

3  2Sth  May,  1S62. 


72  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  difference  is  in  the  light, 
We  're  aR  black  in  the  dark,  sir. 

"  Suppose  that  Sambo  isn't  wise, 

Admit  him  dull  or  duller. 
Stupidity 's  a  charge  that  lies 

Against  no  special  color. 
I  've  known  some  white  folks  quite  obtuse  ; 

If  Sambo  is  a  fool,  sir, 
We  needn't  such  strange  terror  show 

At  sight  of  colored  schools,  sir." 

So  Jonathan  in  Congress  made 

A  little  resolution, 
That  is  to  say — a  sort  of  trade 

Within  the  Constitution  ; 
He  bargained  for  a  certain  sum, 

That  Sambo  in  D.  C.  sir, 
(Quoth  he,  "  The  rest  will  have  to  come,") 

Hereafter  should  be  free,  sir.1 

1  Bill  abolishing  slavery  in  District  of  Columbia  passed  April  16th, 
18* 


CHAPTER  X. 

'TWAS  late  one  February  night, 

Beside  a  candle  small, 
Jeff  Davis  set  him  down  to  write 

His  speech  Inaugural.1 
The  streets  were  dark,  black  as  his  ink, 

(They'd  used  up  all  their  gas,  sir,) 
"When  suddenly,  by  his  door  chink 

He  saw  a  lantern  pass,  sir. 

"A  light !  'tis  news, — ho !  there,  outside, 

What  tidings  do  you  carry  ?" 
"  Hush,  hush,  from  Tflghman,  sir,  I  ride, 

He  bade  me  ne'er  to  tarry 
Until  I  came,  as  come  you  see, 

(I've  killed  my  horse  to  boot,  sir,) 
To  tell  King  Jeff,  in  Fort  Henry 

Old  Abe  has  put  his  Foote,1  sir. 

"  Another  orderly 's  behind, 

I  heard  his  horse  hoofs  clatter  ; 
Ah !  here  he  is,  I  fear  you'll  find 

There's  something  worse  the  matter." 
"  Come  in !  come  in !    Put  out  the  light, 

Or  somebody  will  see,  sir." 
"  O  me !  we're  in  a  sorry  plight," 

Cried  out  the  orderly,  sir. 

1  See  Inaugural,  February  22, 1862. 
1  Fort  Henry  taken  February  6, 18C2. 

4  (73) 


74  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"You're  faint,"  says  Jeff,  and  poured  MTU  out 

Three  finger  widths  of  brandy, 
"  Now  drink,  my  man,  A  total  rout, 

To  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 
"  King  Jeff,  I'd  drink  your  pretty  toast 

Until  I  were  dead  drunk,  sir, 
But  Yankees  fight  while  we  do  boast, 

They  are  choke  full  of  spunk,  sir. 

"  From  Nashville,  sir,  I  come  direct, 

I  left  an  awful  panic, 
Bull  Run  was  play,  sir,  I  suspect 

To  this,  this  rout  Satanic. 
The  city's  sacked,  our  troops  did  throw 

Their  whisky,  corn  and  bacon 
Upon  the  streets,  to  cheat  the  foe, 

For  ....    Donaldson  is  taken"1 

" '  Tis  false,"  said  Jeff,  "but  yesterday 

A  message  came  up  here,  sir, 
Our  boys  were  '  Driving  Grant  away 

And  peppering  his  rear,  sir.' 
And  Pillow  said,  '  The  day  was  ours,' 

And  after  Tn'm  did  Floyd,  sir, 
Dispatch  ('tis  scarce  a  dozen  hours) 

'The  gun  boats  were  destroyed,'  sir." 

"  All  that  was  true  tiH  afternoon, 

The  Yankees  did  return,  sir, 
His  cruel  fate  then  all  too  soon 

Did  General  Buckner  learn,  sir." 
"  And  Floyd,  his  name  why  do  you  miss  ?" 

"  He  did  not  like  to  stay,  sir  ; 

i  February  15, 1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  75 

While  Buckner  asked  an  armistice 
At  dawn  he  stole  away,  sir. 

"  Twelve  thousand  men,  and  guns  three-score, 

All  to  the  Yankees  lost,  sir, 
But  paid,  King  Jeff,  with  Yankee  gore, 

And  at  a  fearful  cost,  sir." 
"Enough. !"  said  Jeff,  "your  tale  is  told — 

"  Ho !  guards,  give  him  his  ration, 
But  with  the  town  let  him  not  hold 

The  least  communication." 


Jeff  locked  the  door,  and  snuffed  his  light, 

And  sighed,  and  took  a  dram,  sir, 
Sat  down,  and  then  began  to  write 

To  all  appearance  calm,  sir  : 
"  My  friends,"  wrote  he,  "  the  foe  must  sink 

Under  enormous  debt,  sirs, 
Through  darkest  clouds  there  is  this  blink ; 

We  have  no  need  to  fret,  sirs.1 

"  'Tis  true  we  've  had  full  many  a  trial, 

And  loss  in  gold  and  blood,  sir, 
But  they  have  taught  us  self  denial 

And  done  us  all  much  good,  sir. 
The  people  wiser  too  have  grown. 

Their  purposes  are  firmer ; 
The  gallant  men  to  arms  have  flown, 

The  women  do  not  murmur ; 

"But  have  their  sons  and  daughters  for 
Great  deeds  of  valor  trained,  sirs. 

1  See  Davis'  Inaugural  of  Fclmary  22, 1862. 


76  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

We  're  sdf-siffporting,  too ;  this  war 
Alone  we  have  maintained,  sirs  ; 

We've  asked  no  aid,  but  when  we've  won, 
And  our  success  complete,  sirs, 

All  nations  will  cry  out  'Well  done!' 
And/or  our  trade  compete,  sirs." 

So  far  King  Jeff  with  ease  did  go, 

When,  hist !  his  window  rattles 
Just  as  he  writes,  "  All  this  we  owe 

Unto  the  God  of  battles." 
The  beating  of  his  pulses  turns 

To  distant  booming  guns, 
The  hot  blood  in  his  arteries  burns — 

Like  molten  lava  runs. 

Exhausted  nature  can  no  more, 

She  will  have  a  respite,  sir, 
Jeff  nods — his  candle  splutters  o'er, 

And  lo !  it  is  daylight,  sir. 
Down  dropped  his  pen,  his  nerves  did  fail, 

And  sound  asleep  he  fell,  sir, 
And  dreamed,  O  horror !  such  a  tale, 

Of  Pea  Eidge,1  and  of  Hell,  sir. 

Of  demons  armed  with  tomahawks, 

Of  dead  men  scalped  in  fight,  sir, 
Of  desperate  charge,  and  battle  shocks, 

Of  day  thrice  turned  to  night,  sir, 
In  clouds  of  sickening  sulphur  smoke, 

Of  horrid  sights  to  see ! 
Of  shrieking,  till  the  dying  choke 

With  groans  and  blasphemy. 

***** 

1  Fought  on  the  6th,  7th  and  8th  of  March,  1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Jeff  woke,  but  still  the  distant  guns 

Were  booming  in  his  ear, 
He  called  aloud.    "Ho!  orderly, 

"What  is  this  noise  I  hear  ?" 
"  That  noise,  King  Jeff,  the  town  has  rent, 

And  puzzled  many  men,  sir, 
Some  say  it  is  the  bombardment 

Of  Island  Number  Ten,1  sir." 

Jeff  scowled,  and  frowned,  and  tried  his  best 

To  look  incredulous. 
"Those  Tanks,"  he  said,  "give  one  no  rest, 

They  keep  a  constant  fuss. 
The  more  we  kill  they  more  increase, 

And  oh !  so  bold  they've  grown, 
And  all  we  asked  was  to  have  peace, 

And  to  be  let  done" 

Thus,  while  Jeff  scolded  to  himself, 

And  boasted  to  his  army 
That  things  in  Dixie,  on  the  whole, 

Were  working  to  a  charm,  he 
Heard  ever  more  the  booming  guns 

At  Island  Number  Ten,2  sir, 
And  read  of  strange  and  daring  deeds, 

Of  Pope  and  his  brave  men,  sir. 

1  Bombardment  commenced  March  16, 18C2. 

2  The  bombardment  was  kept  up  twenty-three  days. 


CHAPTEE  XI. 

"  Now  what  do  ye  in  Hampton  Roads,1 

My  gallant  sailor  boys  ?" 
"  Oh !  sir,  in  Norfolk  Navy  Yard 

There  is  a  wondrous  noise, 
They  're  plating  our  old  Merrimack 

And  giving  her  a  '  snout,'  sir ; 
We  're  here  to  drive  the  old  ark  back, 

If  once  she  should  come  out,  sir." 

What's  that  black  mass  that's  floating  down 

Between  two  rebel  steamers  ? 
Both  fore  and  aft  defiantly 

She  carries  rebel  streamers ; 
Straight  out  across  the  silent  bay, 

The  hearse-like  monster  glides,  sir, 
Silent  as  death  she  cleaves  her  way — 

Like  Death,  resistless  rides,  sir. 

Now,  clear  for  action  Cumberland ! 

Straight  down  on  you  she  steers  ; 
She  speaks !  Your  gunners  fearless  stand 

And  answer  her  with  cheers ! 
A  broadside  give !  Good  God !  her  roof 

Turns  off  your  shot  like  rain,  sir, 
Unchecked,  unhurt,  to  cannon  proof, 

She  strikes  the  ship  amain,  sir. 

»  March  8, 1862. 
(78) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  79 

Crash,  through  the  plank  and  timbers  riven 

She  drives  her  iron  snout, 
Then  rakes  the  deck  with  heavy  guns, 

And  still  the  heroes  shout, 
Nor  flinch — those  doomed  men,  nor  quail 

Before  the  horrid  slaughter, 
But  man  their  guns  defiantly, 

Till  throttled  by  the  water ! 

And  so  it  sunk,  brave  Cumberland ! 

Down  with  its  dead  and  dying ; 
Down  with  its  last  dry  gun  still  manned,1 

And  with  the  flag  still  flying ! 
Unsatisfied  the  monster  turns — 

Success  the  boast  engenders, 
"  She  '11  sink  the  whole  of  Abram's  fleet," — 

The  Congress  soon  surrenders. 

The  Minnesota  runs  aground, 

Bight  in  the  monster's  track ; 
The  rebel  captain  looks  around, 

"  'Tis  late,  we  can  come  back 
To-morrow  morn — of  this  our  prize 

The  Devil  can't  us  rob,  sir ; 
"We  11  take  a  nap,  and  early  rise, 

And  finish  up  the  job,  sir." 

So  with  the  sun  on  Saturday,2 

The  black  ark  hove  in  sight ; 
The  stranded  Minnesota  lay 

All  ready  for  the  fight ; 


1  "Standing  knee-deep  in  water, Matthew  Lenney  fired  the  only 
gun    that  was  still  dry,  and  in  another  moment  the  Cumberland 
went  down." — Sonnets  History. 

2  March  9, 1862. 


80  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

For  Worden,  with  his  Monitor, 

Was  lying  on  her  lee ; 
"  I  '11  fight  the  monster,"  Worden  said, 

"  God  speed  the  right,"  said  he. 

Said  Buck,1  the  reb,  "By  Jeff,  what 's  that 

A-prowling  round  our  prize,  sir  ? 
It 's  something  bigger  than  a  rat, 

The  deuce  confound  my  eyes,  sir — 
It  is  a  cheese-box  on  a  raft, 

Some  stupid  Yankee  trick ; 
Just  send  a  ball  into  the  craft, 

And  sink  her  double  quick." 

'Twas  easier  said  than  done — the  ball 

Don't  into  her  just  go,  sir, 
But  glances,  in  the  bay  doth  fall 

And  in  return  to  show,  sir, 
That  little  things  will  have  their  day, 

The  "  cheese-box  "  does  run  out 
Th'  eleven-inch  gun,  and  fires  away 

Eight  at  the  rebel's  snout. 

And  round  and  round  the  Merrimack 

The  little  "  cheese-box  "  spun, 
And  then  whene'er  she  spies  a  crack, 

Bang  goes  th'  eleven-inch  gun. 
The  monster  tries  to  run  her  down, 

Ha,  ha !  she 's  got  her  match,  sir ; 
She  turns  her  nose  up  on  the  raft, 

And  does  n't  leave  a  scratch,  sir. 

She  only  lifts  to  Worden's  view 
A  vulnerable  side,  sir, 

1  Franklin  Buchanan,  renegade  naval  officer. . 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  81 

When  crash !  the  gallant  gunners,  too, 
The  unarmed  spot  have  spied,  sir. 

Eight  through  the  wooden  hull,  so  true, 
Thateleven-incK  ball  goes  handy ; 

The  splinters  whistled  as  they  flew — 
Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

And  thus  the  haughty  Merrimack, 

And  renegade  commander, 
While  making  haste  to  get  safe  back, 

Began  to  understand,  sir, 
That  there 's  a  Power  above  can  foil 

The  best  hopes  man  can  build,  sir ; 
That  plans  the  Devil  cannot  spoil, 

May  still  be  unfulfilled,  sir. 

4* 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

OLD  JONATHAN  took  up  Ms  fife, 

He  'd  just  heard  from  the  West,  sir, 
About  Forts  Henry,  Donelson, 

Columbus  and  the  rest,  sir. 
"  So  much,"  said  he  to  Abraham, 

"  Has  come  of  one  brave  move,  sir ; 
Another  stroke,  and  Dixie's  might 

Will  all  a  bubble  prove,  sir. 

"  We  11  teach  the  traitors,  Abe,  my  man, 

Their  idle  threats  to  bandy ;" 
And  boastful  Jonathan  began 

His  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
And  while  he  played,  Grant  hurried  up 

To  find  the  enemy,  sir ; 
And  Abe  sent  valiant  Andy  down, 

To  bring  back  Tennessee,  sir. 

And  news  from  General  Halleck  came 

That  out  in  Arkansaw,  sir, 
The  flag  was  floating,  and  that  Price 

Was  cut  up  by  the  war,  sir, 
With  Curtis  hanging  on  his  rear, 

His  rapid  flight  delaying. 
Then  came  a  rumor  of  Pea  Ridge ! 

And  Jonathan  stopped  playing. 

(82) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  83 

He  laid  his  fife  aside  in  pain, 

He  saw  a  red,  red  tide,  sir, 
Was  setting  in ;  his  boasts  were  vain. 

O'er  all  the  country  wide,  sir, 
He  knew  the  gathering  waves  of  war 

Surged  in  a  wild  unrest ; 
He  braced  himself,  and  stood  erect 

The  coming  storm  to  breast. 

Abe  did  n't  look  so  far  ahead, 

He  fixed  his  partial  sight 
On  Gideon,  and  talked  about 

The  Monitor's  brave  fight. 
Said  he,  "  Fremont's  idea  of  boats 

A  lot  of  trouble  saves,  sir ; 
I  think  my  fleets  will  ride  upon 

Old  Jonathan's  war  waves,  sir." 

Said  Gideon,  that  very  day, 

"  I  have  a  squadron  handy, 
And  gallant  tars  to  lead  the  way 

For  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
The  steam  is  up,  the  flag  afloat, 

And  Farragut  on  board,  sir ; 
And  Porter  waits,  with  mortar  fleet, 

For  you  to  give  the  word,  sir." 

"The  boys  out  West,"  said  Abe,  "do  fret 

About  their  shut  up  river."1 
"  The  very  thing,"  said  Wells ;  "  I  '11  let 

My  tars  the  West  deliver ; 
But  there 's  some  forts,  by  rebels  manned, 

And  iron-clad  gunboats,  sir ; 

»  The  Mississippi. 


84  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  rebel  rams,  and  heavy  chains 
Across  the  river's  throat,  sir." 

"  Oh !  yes,"  said  Wells,  "  and  big  fire  rafts ; 

Perhaps  we  overrate  them , 
But  if  they  sail  such  wicked  craft, 

My  Porter  soon  will  mate  them." 
So  down  to  New  Orleans  they  sail, 

And  slowly  up  the  stream,  sir ; 
The  rebs  had  got  the  news  by  mail, 

And  of  a  victory  dream,  sir. 

Bold  Porter  slips  along  the  shore, 

Half  hidden  by  the  trees ; 
Up  to  the  two  strong  rebel  forts, 

He  works  by  slow  degrees. 
He  wakes  the  traitors  by  his  shell, 

Two  thousand  the  first  day,  sir ; 
Growled  Hollins,  as  they  bursting  fell, 

"  There 's  two  at  that  can  play,  sir." 

Then  out  he  towed  into  the  tide, 

His  fire-ship  all  ablaze,  sir ; 
"Down  to  the  fleet,"  said  he,  "'twill  ride, 

Those  skulking  chaps  amaze,  sir." 
Down,  down !  the  frightful  oreature  moved, 

The  vessels  stood  for  fight,  sir ; 
It  floated  free,  all  harmless  proved, 

And  drifted  out  of  sight,  sir. 

Said  Porter,  "  There  '11  be  more  anon, 

Put  grapnels  in  your  boats, 
And  ropes,  and  buckets,  in  the  morn 

Be  ready,  what  e'er  floats. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  85 

"  What 's  yonder  liglit,  with  lurid  gleam  ?  " 

"A  raft  within  a  mile,  sir." 
She  nears !     The  "Westfield,  with  a  scream, 

Steers  for  the  burning  pile,  sir. 

'Mid  crashing  timbers,  flying  sparks, 

The  staunch  old  vessel  goes,  sir, 
And  on  the  fearful  mass  of  fire 

The  Captain  turns  the  hose,  sir. 
A  moment  more, — the  fleet  of  boats 

Have  grappled !  "  Now  the  oars,  sirs." 
And  see !  the  baffled  monster  floats, 

Towed  slowly  to  the  shore,  sirs. 


Seven  days  they  did  bombard  the  forts, 

Seven  days  the  forts  replied, 
And  Porter  would  have  banged  away 

Till  all  his  men  had  died  ; 
But  Farragut  looks  on  the  lads, 

As  faint  and  worn  they  lie,  sir,1 
Says  he,  "111  slip  my  anchors,  and 

These  stubborn  forts  run  by,  sir." 

'Twas  two  o'clock  that  April  morn,2 

Beneath  the  star-lit  sky 
The  forts  sleep  tranquil,  and  the  ships 

And  gunboats  silent  lie ; 
Up  from  the  Hartford's  mizzen  peak 

The  signal  lanterns  shine,  sir, 


1  "  When  relieved  from  their  toil,  the  men  instantly  dropped  down 
upon  the  decks,  and  fell  soundly  asleep,  in  the  midst  of  an  uproar 
well  nigh  sufficient  to  have  waked  the  dead." — Abbof  s  History. 

2  23rd  April. 


86  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Ship  after  ship  in  answer  speak, 
And  fall  quick  into  line,  sir. 

Now,  up  the  stream ! — The  Hartford  leads. 

Eight  in  the  gates  of  hell,  sir, 
She  takes  the  flag! — Oh!  bravest  deed, 

To  break  the  accursed  spell,  sir, 
Of  Treason  and  her  vaunted  skill ; 

And  prodigies  of  might, 
And  rebel  hate,  and  desperate  will, 

Prove  futile  'gainst  the  right 

Up !  past  the  broken  cable,  up ! 

Abreast  the  rebel  forts, 
"A  broadside  now  1 "  cried  Farragut, 

"  Straight  at  their  frowning  ports." 
Five  hundred  cannon,  thundering, 

Unto  the  fleet  replied,  sir, 
And  shot  and  shell  in  torrents  fling — 

Still,  safe  the  vessels  ride,  sir. 

Up !  'mid  the  drifting  fire  boats, 

Where  hot  shot  crashing  falls 
Thro'  wooden  hulls, — the  fleet  still  floats — 

One,1  riddled  quite  with  balls 
Drops  out  of  line,  and  one 2  in  flames, 

The  flag  ship   runs  aground,  sir, 
Before  a  rebel  ram  ;3  she  backs, 

And  fights,  and  comes  off  sound,  sir. 

Five  gunboats  Captain  Boggs 4  sent  down 
Beneath  the  turbid  water, 


1  The  Ithaca.  2  The  Hartford.  3  The  Manassas. 

4  In  command  of  the  Varnna. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  87 

The  rebels  drive  a  famous  ram 
To  stop  the  wholesale  slaughter — 

The  staunch  Varuna  reeled  and  broke 
Beneath  the  horrid  blow,  sir, 

And  carried  in  a  wreath  of  smoke 
Her  flying  flag  below,  sir. 

They  passed  the  forts,  the  fleet's  brave  crew 

Have  crushed  the  rebel  power, 
And  Farragut's  church  pennant  flew 

Within  the  very  hour. 
"  Give  not  the  glory  of  the  deed 

To  living  or  to  dead,  sirs, 
Let  every  heart  its  duty  read, 

Give  thanks  to  God," l  he  said,  sirs. 

1  See  General  Order  of  April  26th,  1862. 


CHAPTEE    XIII. 

IN  New  Orleans,  the  rebs  amazed 

Declared  it  wHs  a  pity, 
'Twas  infamous — in  short,  quite  crazed, 

They  vowed  they  'd  burn  the  city ; 
They  swore,  these  rebs  of  noble  birth 

Of  chivalry  begotten, 
They  'd  ne'er  submit,  they  'd  strew  the  earth 

With  ashes  of — their  cotton. 

So,  while  the  fleet  lay  off  the  town, 

They  raved  on  without  stint,  sir  ; 
Grim  Farragut  a  flag  sent  down 

To  hoist  upon  the  mint,  sir  ; 
The  Mayor l  whined  about  "  their  rights," 

And  said  such  open  dealings 
Would  not  be  pleasant  in  their  sight, 

In  fact,  would  hurt  their  feelings. 

And  when  the  sailors  went  on  board 

One,  Mumford,  took  the  flag,  sir, 
Tore  out  the  Stars  with  ruthless  hand 

And  in  the  mud  did  drag,  sir. 
Now  Farragut,  the  records  say, 

Did  not  retaliate,  sirs. 
Quoth  he,  "  Ben  Butler's  on  the  way, 

We  can  afford  to  wait,  sirs." 

1  Mayor  Munroe. 
(88) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  89 

Ben's  army  came  the  first  of  May, 

The  chivalry  subsided, 
The  women  in  their  own  sweet  way 

Ben's  soldiery  derided, 
They  pouted,  sneered,  and  venom  spit, 

Turned  up  their  pretty  noses, 
The  troops,  well  disciplined,  submit 

Until  Ben  interposes. 

Said  he,  "  Politeness  is  all  lost 

Upon  a  worthless  jade,  sirs, 
As  you  have  learned  here  to  your  cost, 

They  think  you  are  afraid,  sirs. 
Hereafter,  let  no  soldier  bear 

Such  unprovoked  abuse,  sirs, 
Take  every  such  insulting  fair 

Straight  to  the  calaboose,  sirs." 

The  rebels  raised  a  hue  and  cry, 

Which  as  it  rolled  increased, 
From  rebeldom  abroad  did  fly, 

And  Butler  was  a  '  beast,' 
A  '  brute,'  a  '  knave,'  a  '  base  born  fool !' 

A  '  thief,  come  down  to  steal,'  sir, 
And  Beauregard,  the  ready  tool, 

Wrote  out  a  new  '  appeal,'  sir. 

Said  Ben,  "  They're  skilled  in  throwing  dirt 

O  me !  it  is  a  pity 
To  waste  such  talent,  when  we  need 

It  here  to  clean  the  city ; 
'Tis  foul  almost  as  rebel  tongues, 

Such  garbage  as  one  meets — 
Ugh !  Boys,  bring  out  the  malcontents 

And  make  them  sweep  the  streets." 


90  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Now  Mumford  still  did  walk  the  street 

And  led  a  swaggering  crew,  sir, 
Who  swore  Ben  should  not  justice  mete, 

Or  dreadful  things  they'd  do,  sir. 
Ben  sent  a  sergeant  from  his  camp, 

And  being  always  partial 
To  law  and  order,  took  the  scamp 

Before  a  full  Court  Martial. 

The  court  decreed  death  was  too  good, 

But  hanging  recommended ; 
Ben  made  a  gallows  of  stout  wood 

And  Muinford  was  suspended. 
Jeff  Davis  howled  and  talked  about 

The  usages  of  war,  sirs, 
And  martyred  Mumford  hung  without 

The  shadow  of  a  law,  sirs  ; 

Said,  "  Ben  was  outlawed,"  held  him  up 

To  general  execration, 
As  an  excrescence  hideous 

Of  a  besotted  nation. 
Ben  took  the  compliment  and  kept 

A  hearty  appetite,  sir, 
And  under  Jeff's  outlawry  slept 

Quite  soundly  every  night,  sir. 

The  Consuls  next  took  up  the  theme 

And  quoted  rules  of  war, 
And  bullied  Ben,  until  they  found 

He  knew  somewhat  of  law. 
They  held  "  Their  Governments  at  home," 

Bight  up  to  Butler's  view,  sir, 
Ben  cocked  his  eye,  said  he,  "You're  good, 

My  friends,  at  crying  Boo !"  sir. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  91 

Jeff's  Cabinet  in  Richmond  met 

Affrighted  by  the  shock, 
Said  one,  "  This  does  my  temper  fret, 

We  must  the  Yankees  block." 
Said  Benjamin,  "  My  noble  state, 

My  Crescent  City  dear 
Has  fallen — but  has  met  her  fate 

With  her  escutcheon  clear. 

"  No  tame  submission  on  her  brow, 

She  still  defies  Abe's  power, 
Bride  force  done  hath  laid  her  low, 

And  only  for  the  hour." 
Said  Mallory,  (the  while  he  wrote,) 

"  You  sentimental  ranters, 
Just  sign  this  little  business  note   ' 

I  'm  writing  to  the  planters. 

"  I  have  advised  them,  as  a  friend, 

To  burn  each  cotton  bale,  sir, 
That  when  the  Yankee  traders  send 

They'll  find  not  one  for  sale,  sir ; 
You  see  that  Seward's  advertised 

At  New  Orleans  a  port,  sir,1 
And  all  the  diplomats  advised 

From  every  foreign  Court,  sir. 

"Now  let  the  conquest  barren  be 

When  vessels  come  to  trade, 
Why  let  them  only  ashes  see, 

Or  our  enslavement's  made.2 
Let  Europe  grumble  at  the  waste 

The  barbarous  North  hath  wrought,  sir, 

1  The  Port  of  New  Orleans  opened  for  trade  May  3, 1862. 

2  Charleston  Mercury  May  14, 1862. 


92  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  market  will  not  suit  her  taste, 
She  11  feel  that  she  is  caught,  sir." 

"  She  '11  be,  or  I  am  very  green," 

(I  quote  now,  sir,  from  Slidell,) 
"No  tame  spectator  of  the  scene, 

She  will  not  long  be  idle." 
Twas  ever  thus  in  each  mishap 

To  their  Confederation, 
The  rebels  turned  to  Johnny  Bull 

In  hope  of  consolation. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MAC  read  aloud  his  little  speech1 

And  all  his  men  did  cheer,  sir, 
He  said  he'd  held  them  back  to  teach 

(As  shortly  would  appear,  sir,) 
How  best  to  deal  the  sharp  death  blow 

To  this  gigantic  treason  ; 
And  if  he  had  been  rather  dow 

'Twas  with  sufficient  reason. 

Said  he,  "  The  hour  is  now  at  hand, 

In  you  my  trust  I  place,  sirs, 
And  with  the  rebels  (if  they  stand,) 

I  '11  bring  you/ace  to  face,  sirs  ; 
Then  to  Manassas,  with  a  shout, 

The  army  went  with  Mac,  sir, 
They  found  the  rebels  just  stepped  out, 

So  turned  them  back  to  back,  sir. 

Says  Mac,  "  That  Johnston  is  a  fox, 

My  witt,  sir,  does  not  falter, 
But  mud  my  transportation  blocks, 

It's  best  my  plans  to  alter. 
To  float  on  the  Potomac's  breast 

Is  easier  than  to  walk  down, 
My  heavy  guns,  and  all  the  rest, 

I'll  ship  forthwith  to  Yorktown." 

1  Sec  McClellan's  address  to  his  Arn:y,  March  14, 18C2. 

-'-'  0 


94  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Then  followed.     On  tlie  sorry  sight 

It  will  not  do  to  brood,  sir ; 
One  hundred  thousand  went  to  fight 

Five  thousand  with  Magruder. 
"When  Mac  was  ready  to  begin 

Upon  the  thirtieth  day,  sir, 
The  rebels  with  a  wicked  grin 

Walked  quietly  away,  sir.1 

"Now  up, my  children, brave  and  true," 

Said  Mac,  "  I  do  intend,  sir, 
These  craven  traitors  to  pursue, 

Unto  the  bitter  end,  sir." 
Oh !  patriots,  wrestling  with  the  wrong  ; 

Oh !  heroes,  all  sublime  ; 
Oh !  General,  valorous  and  strong, 

Not  now  the  appointed  time. 

"What  boots  your  willing  sacrifice, 

Your  heart's  blood  flowing  free  ? — 
Alas !  ye  cannot  pay  the  price 

God  asks  for  victory. 
From  Williamsburg  to  Richmond  town 

Te  drove  the  stubborn  foe ; 
Then  all  unwillingly  sat  down, 

Te  could  "  no  farther  go." 

The  fiat  had  gone  forth,  but  oh ! 

Old  Jonathan  at  home,  sir, 
Did  sound  afar  the  glad  huzza ! 

He  thought  the  end  had  come,  sir ; 
And  Jeff  and  crew  looked  very  blue 

And  cursed  their  hapless  fate,  sir, 

1  Yorktown  evacuated  May  3rd,  1802. 


TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  95 

And  sent  their  wives  and  children  to 
A  distant  rebel  State,  sir.1 

Through  bolts  and  bars  the  tidings  wing ; 

In  Libby,  patriots  grim,  sir, 
Spring  to  their  feet,  as  one  they  sing 

Aloud  their  battle  hymn,1  sir. 
In  Belle  Isle  too,  imprisoned  men, 

Half  starved,  with  hope  elated, 
Grew  patient  in  then*  noisome  den, 

And  for  McClellan  waited. 

They  wait  till  blighted  hopes  all  go, 

They  wait  McClellan's  plan ; 
They  wait  till  hearts  beat  faint  and  low, 

Until  then-  cheeks  are  wan ; 
Until  their  ghastly  skeletons, 

The  boon  no  longer  crave, 
And  find  their  freedom  while  they  wait 

Down  in  a  nameless  grave. 

1  See  Pollard,  L  323-325 ;  H.  28-34.     The  panic  in  Richmond  was 
excessive.    Congress  adjourned  on  the  21st  April.    The  rebel  officials 
packed  their  archives  for  transportation  to  Columbia,  and  sent  their 
families  South. 

2  "  Glory  Hallelujah  !"   The  soul  stirring  battle-hymn  of  the  Repub 
lic,  written  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Howes. 


CHAPTEE   XV. 

WHTLE  Mac  was  carrying  out  his  plan 

On  the  Peninsula,  sir, 
And  Farragut  his  cruise  began 

There  came  up  from  afar  sir, 
A  sound  that'  filled  the  nation's  ear, 

It  came  from  Shiloh's  field,  sir, 
"Where  Grant  surprised,  (so  rebels  say,) 

To  furious  onslaught  yields,  sir.1 

For  Beauregard  had  sworn  that  night, 

That  in  the  Tennessee,  sir, 
His  horse  should  drink ; — the  stream  in  sight, 

His  oath  fulfilled  may  be,  sir ; 
Grant's  men  are  huddled  up  behind, 

His  guns  are  still  before, 
If  Beauregard  don't  change  his  mind 

They  '11  die  upon  the  shore. 

But,  somehow,  Grant  did  never  know 

When  he  was  fairly  beaten ; 
When  morning  broke,  and  Buell  came 

They  both  rose  up  to  meet,  then, 
The  foe,  who  flushed  with  victory, 

The  desperate  conflict  led,  sir, 
And  fought, — till  rebels  ran  away 

And  left  three  thousand  dead,  sir. 

1  April  6, 1862. 

(96) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  97 

That  very  day  New  Madrid  Isle  ' 

Succumbed  to  Captain  Foote,  sir, 
And  Pope  cut  off  the  rebs'  retreat 

And  took  their  guns  to  boot,  sir. 
For  Bissel's  wonderful  canal 

That  morning  navigated, 
Revealed  to  stubborn  Island  Ten 

How  Yankees  had  checkmated. 

Then  Foote  steamed  down  the  muddy  stream, 

To  fight  the  rebel  rams, 
All  plated  o'er  above,  below, 

Just  like  some  iron  clams, 
Or  terrapins  with  steel  clad  snouts ; 

But  Foote  has  iron  walls,  sir, 
The  rebel  craft  he  quickly  routs, 

And  sinks  the  monsters  all,  sir. 

And  on  the  day  that  Mumford  swings 2 

By  Butler's  stern  command,  sir, 
Our  army  Yankee  Doodle  sings 

And  down  at  Memphis  lands,  sir ; 
With  battles  here  and  battles  there, 

War  through  the  land  was  flying, 
And  maimed  and  wounded  everywhere, 

And  everywhere  the  dying. 


Said  Jonathan  to  Betsey  Jane, 

"  Go  put  your  bonnet  on, 
And  be  all  ready  for  the  train, 

That  goes  to  Washington ; 
Our  boys  are  crippled,  bruised,  in  pain 

They  draw  their  weary  breath, 

1  April  7.  *  April  7, 18C2. 

5 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Go,  nurse  them  back  to  hope  again, 
Or  comfort  them  in  death. 

"  Tell  them  their  gallant  deeds  are  known 

To  all  the  neighbors  round ; 
That  every  battle  field  has  grown 

To  be  familiar  ground ; 
That  little  ones  leave  off  their  play 

To  hear  the  thrilling  story, 
The  old  men  bow  themselves  to  pray 

And  give  to  God  the  glory." 

"  Now  Jonathan,"  said  Betsey  Jane, 

"  Our  Uncle  Sam  is  kind,  sir, 
Nor  do  the  gallant  boys  complain, 

But  oh !  it 's  in  my  mind,  sir, 
That  wounded  men  can  hardly  take 

Their  rations  as  they  come,  sir, 
We  'd  better  some  small  parcels  make 

Of  '  something  good  from  home,  sir.' " 

Said  Jonathan,  "  For  ready  wit, 

Give  me  the  womankind,  sir ; " 
He  fumbled  in  the  bureau  drawer, 

It  was  his  purse  to  find,  sir ; 
"  To  think,"  said  he,  "  it 's  lying  here 

Just  like  a  miser's  gold, 
When  in  the  field  these  boys,  so  dear, 

Are  hungry  or  are  cold." 

So  bag  and  bundle,  box  and  bales, 
Went  lumbering  to  the  front,  sir, 

Till  ready  transportation  fails. 
Says  Jonathan,  "  I  won't,  sir, 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  99 

Submit  to  this ;  the  remedy 

Is  easier  than  it  seems,  sir." 
He  sent  to  market  speedily, 

And  bought  himself  the  teams,  sir. 

Where'er  the  cannon  ploughed  the  ground, 

Or  soldier  bore  the  flag  on, 
Old  Jonathan's  "  Commissions  "l  found 

A  place  to  dump  his  wagon. 
Where'er  one  sank  in  agony, 

Oft  'neath  the  leaden  rain, 
Came  Betsey  Jane,  with  gentle  hand 

To  soothe  away  the  pain. 

As  to  and  fro  the  Devil  runs, 

He  hot  displeasure  feels, 
When  at  the  side  of  dying  ones 

A  good  man  praying  kneels. 
"  That  ever  I  should  live  to  see 

On  battle-fields  such  sights,  sir ; 
These  grasping  Yankees  interfere 

E'en  with  the  Devil's  rights,  sir." 

1  Sanitary  Commission,  organized  June,  1861.    Christian  Commis 
sion,  organized  January,  1862. 


CHAPTEE   XVI. 

THE  Scripture  saith,  "  Offence  must  conic, 

But  wo  to  the  offender !" 
Of  spades  and  mud  the  boys  wrote  home, 

The  subject  soon  grew  tender. 
'Twas  getting  on  towards  harvest  time, 

The  farmers  with  a  shrug,  sir, 
Did  hint,  if  digging  was  the  rhyme, 

Potatoes  could  be  dug,  sir. 

Old  Jonathan  is  worried  out, 

And  growls  in  his  displeasure ; 
And  Mac's  sound  wit  begins  to  doubt : 

He  says,  that  life  and  treasure 
Are  wasted  by  his  strategy ; 

That  somebody 's  to  blame,  sir ; 
He  11  talk  to  Abe ;  and  speedily 

To  Washington  he  came,  sir. 

He  finds  old  Abe  is  sore  perplexed, 

And  Stanton  in  a  rage ; 
For  Stonewall  had  been  up  and  vexed 

Our  Banks.  He  tried  to  cage 
His  little  army,  but  it  seems 

There 's  two  ways  to  defeat,  sir ; 
And  Banks  brought  off  his  men  and  teams 

In  masterly  retreat,  sir. 

(100) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          101 

Mac  had  been  crying  out  for  help — 

McDowell  must  come  down,  sir, 
By  steam,  the  rebs  were  "  awful "  strong, 

'Twixt  him  and  Kichmond  town,  sir. 
"  Of  course  I  '11  fight,"  said  Little  Mac, 

"  Without  McDowell's  force ; 
I  '11  close  right  here  my  sad  career, 

Or  vindicate  my  course."1 

Abe  sent  McDowell  down  by  land, 

But  just  before  he  started 
Bold  Stonewall  moved  out  his  command, 

And  Mac's  bright  hopes  departed. 
He  got  another  note  from  Abe, 

Before  the  day  was  ended  ;* 
The  order  for  McDowell's  move 

Had  been,  Abe  said,  suspended. 

Banks  was  at  Strasburg  with  his  troops, 

Six  thousand  men  all  told,  sir ; 
Fremont  at  Franklin  o'er  the  ridge,3 

Then  Stonewall  Jackson  bold,  sir, 
A  bird's-eye  view  took  of  the  case, 

"  At  Fredericksburg,"  quoth  he, 
"  McDowell  plans  a  southward  race, 

Mac  wants  his  company. 

"  I  think  I  Tl  veto  that  device," 
He  gathered  up  his  ranks ; 


1  "But  in  any  event,  I  shall  fight  with  all  the  skill,  caution  and  de 
termination  which  I  possess,  and  I  trust  that  the  result  may  either 
ohtain  for  me  the  permanent  confidence  of  my  Government,  or  that 
it  may  close  my  career."— McClelland  Dispatch,  May  21, 1862. 

2  May  24, 18C2. 

3  Shenandoah  mountains,  seventy  miles  from  Banks. 


102          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  from  New  Market,  in  a  trice, 

Went  out  to  settle  Banks. 
He  swept  off  Kenly,1  hastened  on, 

To  get  on  Banks'  rear,  sir, 
And  cut  him  off  from  "Winchester ; — 

'Twas  growing  very  clear,  sir, 

That  Banks  was  in  a  dangerous  place ; 

But  Banks  was  far  from  blind,  sir ; 
He  started  at  a  rapid  pace, 

And  Stonewall  soon  did  find,  sir, 
There  was  n't  much  to  gain  from  him 

Who  could  so  quickly  rally, 
And  chase,  and  race,  and  fight  his  way 

Straight  down  the  fatal  valley. 

Banks  with  his  brave  six  thousand  men, 

Brings  off  his  guns  and  teams 
In  spite  of  twenty  thousand  rebs 

And  interposing  streams. 
He  crosses  the  Potomac,2  and 

Bold  Stonewall  says  his  prayer 
On  t'other  side,  quite  satisfied 

With  glory  for  his  share. 

McDowell's  force  and  Fremont's  troops 

Hi  a  stroke  has  neutralized,  sir ; 
And  he 's  advised  in  Washington 

Old  Abe  is  paralyzed,  sir. 
'Tis  true,  he  has  hot  work  at  best, 

Tn  beating  his  retreat ; 
He  trembles,  as  he  hurries,  lest3 

Fremont  and  Shields  should  meet 

i  At  Front  Royal.       2  On  the  26th  May,  J862,  at  Williamsport,  Md. 
3  He  rested  but  a  single  day,  and  had  divine  service  performed  in 
his  camp,  and  started  hack  the  29th  May. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          103 

And  fall  upon  him.     But  they  don't — 

It 's  too  late  to  complain,  sir ; 
But,  oh !  the  many  mysteries 

Of  that  ill-starred  campaign,  sir ; 
Abe  Lincoln  said,  "Though  it  might  read 

As  glorious  in  the  books, 
That  Banks  should  make  such  wondrous  speed, 

He  didn't  like  the  looks." 

Said  Stanton,  "  I  shall  telegraph 

The  capital 's  in  danger, 
We  have  n't  troops  enough,  by  half, 

To  check  that  Jackson  ranger." 
Said  Jonathan,  "  The  troops  will  come, 

There  is  no  doubt  of  that)  sir ; 
Although  you  can't  use  what  you  have, 

And  that 's  the  truth  out  flat,  sir. 

"  You  've  quite  too  many  heads,  Old  Abe, 

Too  many  politicians ; 
Among  them  all  you  're  but  a  babe. 

I  have  my  strong  suspicions 
You  're  being  used  for  party  ends." 

Says  Lincoln,  "  How  is  that,  sir  ?" 
Says  Jonathan,  "  When  mice  abound, 

It 's  wise  to  keep  a  cat,  sir. 

"  There 's  mice  and  rats  a-gnawing  at 

The  vitals  of  this  nation ; 
Upon  her  blood  they  're  growing  fat. 

This  scum  of  God's  creation 
Would  dance  and  grin,  though  any  day 

A  battle  should  come  off,  in 
The  country's  death,  so  '  it  would  pay ' 

In  contract  for  the  coffin. 


104          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  And  Lincoln,  other  rats  are  they 

Who  '  rally  round  the  flag,'  sir, 
And  let  our  treasures  slip  away, 

And  guard  the  empty  bag,  sir ; 
And  some  who  stand  quite  at  the  head 

And  talk  of  Revolution, 
And  would  put  treason  snug  to  bed 

Within  the  CONSTITUTION. 

"  And  Abe,  you  're  trying  to  keep  in 

Beneath  that  coverlid,  sir, 
With  stretching  it  is  worn  so  thin 

It 's  long  now  since  it  hid,  sir, 
The  country's  sore ;  the  gaping  rent 

The  rebels  made  with  ball,  sir, 
You  cannot  mend,  although  you  've  sent 

Old  Hunter  to  the  wall,  sir." ' 

"  What  can  I  do  ?  "  said  Honest  Abe, 

"  You  're  drifting  fast  to  leeward." 
Said  Jonathan, — "  Your  pilots  wise 

(I  don't  refer  to  Seward,) 
Are  letting  drift  the  ship  of  state 

In  sight  of  Bunker's  steeple ; 
Drift,  Abraham,  as  sure  as  fate, 

Away  behind  the  people  ! 

"  You  've  got  to  march,  sir,  at  the  head 

Of  this  determined  nation, 
Or  you  had  better  far  be  dead 

Down  at  Manassas  Station." 
"  I  'd  give  my  life,  if  that  would  do," 

Said  Abram,  with  a  glance,  sir, 

1  Hunter's  proclamation  of  emancipation,  repudiated  by  the  Presi 
dent  May  19, 1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         105 

So  sorrowful—"  but  still  I  Tl  tend 
The  rebs  a  final  chance,  sir.1 

"  The  nation's  crazed  with  wars  alarms, 

I  'd  sound  a  parley  now,  sir, 
Perhaps  the  rebs  will  ground  their  arms 

If  lean  show  them  how,  sir; 
As  things  now  stand  'tis  best  for  all 

To  arbitrate  by  law,  sir. 
To  pay  for  slaves,  dear  Jonathan, 

Is  cheaper  much  than  war,  sir." 

Growled  Jonathan,  "  I  wonder  if 

Old  Abe  and  sense  have  parted  ?  " 
Then  choking  down  his  little  miff, 

He  said,  "  He 's  chicken  hearted ; 
1 11  go  back  home,  and  nudge  the  folks, 

We  11  keep  it  in  the  dark,  sir, 
'Twill  take  an  awful  sight  of  steam 

To  tow  Abe  to  the  mark,  sir." 

1  See  Lincoln's  message  to  Congress,  March  6, 1863. 
5* 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MEANTIME  the  rain  came  down  and  made 

A  river  of  the  plain,  sir, 
Destroyed  the  bridges,  and  so  cut 

Mac's  army  into  twain,  sir ; 
The  rebs  who  never  have  "  a  plan," 

And  never,  sir,  are  lazy, 
Caught  up  their  guns,  in  columns  ran 

Bight  down  upon  Old  Casey.1 

Mac  sound  asleep  on  'tother  side 

Hears  something  of  a  rattle, 
And  his  balloon  sends  up  to  get 

The  tidings  of  the  battle. 
"  'Twas  clear,"  he  said,  "  that  Casey  had 

Made  most  disgraceful  fight,  sir,* 
And  well  nigh  caused  my  ruin," — he 

To  Washington  did  write,  sir. 

Next  day  he  rode  upon  the  field 

His  generals  had  won,  sir ; 
Ten  thousand  dead  and  wounded  lay 

Beneath  that  Sabbath  sun,  sir. 
And  foremost  in  the  battle-ground 

And  trampled  in  the  dust,  sir, 
Were  General  Casey's  soldiers  found 

Dead,  with  the  bayonet  thrust,  sir ! 

1  Fair  Oaks,  May  31, 1862.  a  See  McClellan's  dispatches. 

(106) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          107 

Mac  didn't  follow  up  the  foe, 

And  fight  him  man  to  man,  sir, 
He  could  not  then  to  Richmond  go,1 

For  why  ?  he  had  "  a  plan"  sir. 
His  troops  were  tired,  and  besides, 

Not  half  were  o'er  the  streams, 
He  '11  move  them  when  the  flood  subsides, 

And  liberates  his  teams. 

Day  after  day  the  army  lies 

Right  in  the  broiling  heat, 
Day  after  day  a  hundred  dies, 

'Twas  worse  than  a  defeat, 
They  say  Mac's  plans  were  very  deep, 

They  're  deep  enough  in  blood,  sir, 
And  one  would  think  just  now  they  sleep 

Deep  in  a  bed  of  mud,  sir. 

The  "  troops  were  where  he  wanted  them," 

Mac  said  in  his  dispatch, 
But  recently  he  counted  them 

He  thought  they  were  no  match, 
In  numbers  for  secesh ;  he  said, 

His  plans  he  would  mature, 
If  Abe  would  send  him  ten  brigades, 

To  make  the  victory  sure. 

Now  Abe  between  two  fires  exposed, 
Sat  still  and  vacillated : 


1  "  When  the  enemy  hafl  retreated  after  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
what  military  reason  was  there  for  not  immediately  following  them  to 
Richmond  ?"—"  I  know  of  none."  *  *  *  "  I  do  believe  that  if 
the  General  had  crossed  the  Chickahominy  with  the  residue  of  the 
army,  and  made  a  general  attack  with  his  whole  force,  we  could  have 
carried  Richmond."— Testimony  of  General  Sumner. 


108          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOOLLE. 

To  Peter  pay  by  robbing  Paul 

He  couldn't  choose,  so  waited. 
"  I  'd  send  to  Mac,  but  then,"  thought  he, 

"  The  capital  might  fall,  sir, 
Then  Jonathan  is  pushing  me — 

I  '11  send  Mac  down  McCall," l  sir. 

But  while  Mac  sowed  his  men  in  mud, 

Expecting  them  to  grow ; 
Jeb  Stuart  took  a  little  turn 2 

His  cavalry  to  show. 
All  round  about  McClellan's  camp 

He  rode  a  Gilpin  race,  sir ; 
Said  Mac,  "  I  find  this  ground  is  damp, 

I  think  I  '11  change  my  base,  sir." 

He  Casey  sent  to  pack  his  trunks,3 

All  ready  for  the  move, 
Poor  Mac !  the  rebs  won't  give  him  time, 

But  most  harassing  prove ; 
Bold  Stonewall  hurls  his  columns  down, 

And  Lee  from  Richmond  rides,  sir, 
To  end  the  war  and  victory  crown, 

With  humbled  Yankee  pride,  sir. 

Seven  days  of  onslaught  and  of  rout, 
Seven  days  of  untold  slaughter, 

Sevan  dreadful  days  of  death,  dealt  out 
By  bay'net,  gun,  and  mortar. 

F,ach  morn  the  rebels  massed  their  troops, 
Each  morn  McClellan  stood, 

1  IicCall's  division  of  11,000  men.  McClellan' &  army  was  then  over 
100,000  men. 

*  On  the  15th  of  June,  1862, 

3  Gen.  Casey  appointed  23d  Juno  to  superintend  the  removal  or 
stores,  etc.,  from  White  House,  prior  to  McClellan's  change  of  base. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  109 

Fought  manfully  until  the  night, 
Then  fell  back  through  the  wood. 

On !  wearied  men,  the  James  is  nigh, 

Where  Abram's  boats  are  lying ; 
Their  guns  all  shotted,  and  on  high 

An  untrailed  flag  is  flying ; 
Oh !  patriots,  why/rt»n  victory 

Should  ye  be  falling  back,  sirs  ? 
An  echo  comes  responsively 

"  Three  cheers  for  Little  Mac,  sirs." 

Mac  placed  his  cannon  on  a  hill 

And  went  away  to  wait,1. 
Then  Lee  came  up  with  ready  will ; 

Magruder  was  not  late, 
He  only  stopped  to  deal  his  men 

Out  whisky  and  gunpowder, 
Then  up  the  hill  with  horrid  yell 

To  meet  a  roar  still  louder. 

For  Mac's  great  guns  roared  out  like  fiends 

And  mowed  the  rebs  in  rows,  „ 
Magruder  staggers, — rallies,  and 

Straight  up  the  hill  he  goes. 
Not  far, — Old  Simmer 2  is  at  bay, 

His  cannon  cut  down  deep 
And  merciless,  as  wears  the  day 

The  hill  grows  slippery  steep. 


1  "  Gen.  McClellan  had  deemed  it  necessary  to  go  down  to  Harrison's 
Landing  to  determine  on  the  point  to  which  the  troops  were  to  retire." 

2  "  I  therefore  found  myself,  by  virtue  of  my  seniority  of  rank,  in  com 
mand  of  the  army,  without  having  been  invested  formally  with  that 
command  or  having  received  any  instructions  in  relation  to  it."—  Tes 
timony  of  Gen.  Svmner  before  Congressional  Committee. 


110          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  'Tis  madness  sheer,"  at  last  cries  Lee, 

"'Tis  folly  to  attack; 
Hell  might  be  stormed  as  easily 

Go,  call  Magruder  back." 
Back  rolled  the  seething  sullen  tide 

Of  that  great  human  sea, 
And  left  its  dead  strewn  far  and  wide 

And, — Little  Mac  breathed  free. 

Breathed  free !  why  not  ?  his  troops  had  won 

Another  hard  fought  fight.1 
And  he  was  safe  once  more,  but  still 

Before  he  slept  that  night, 
To  make  quite  sure,  he  bade  his  troops 

To  fall  some  seven  miles  back, 
Then  on  his  gunboat,  duty  done, 

To  bed  went  Little  Mac. 

His  worn  out  men  dispirited 

To  Harrison's  retreated ; 
They  hardly  knew  if  they  had  been 

Triumphant  or  defeated ; 
One  thing  pressed  home  with  certainty, 

Their  toil  it  scarcely  lightened, 
They  'd  learned  these  last  few  bloody  days 

Their  General  was  frightened.2 


'Twas  here  Count  This  and  Baron  That, 
And  Prince  the  other  thing, 


1  See  McClellan's  dispatches  of  that  date. 

2  Gen.  McClellan  posted  the  troops  in  the  morning,  and  then  went 
off  to  his  headquarters  and  we  did  not  see  anything  more  of  him."— 
Testimony  of  Gen.  Heintzelman  before  Committee  on  Conduct  of  the 
War. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Slipped  from  McClellan's  staff  in  haste, 

And  for  the  North  took  wing. 
They  'd  come  to  learn  the  art  of  war 

From  our  immortal  chief ; 
They  'd  read  him  through — but  Abe  had  still 

To  turn  another  leaf. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

OLD  Jonathan  had  waited  long, 

His  boys  he  still  could  trust,  sir, 
Thought  he,  Old  Abe  is  getting  strong, 

And  Mac  is  more  than  bluster. 
He  '&  worked  up  close  to  Richmond's  walls, 

What  if  he  has  been  slow,  sir  ? 
He 's  sure,  hurrah !  for  Mac,  he 's  got 

But  five  miles  more  to  go,  sir. 

1 11  send  to  town, — next  week 's  the  Fourth 

We  '11  joyful  celebrate,  sir, 
The  Stars  and  Stripes  ere  that,  will  float 

In  every  rebel  State,  sir ; 
So  Jonathan  sent  up  to  town, 

And  ordered  lots  of  rockets 
And  fireworks  to  be  sent  straight  down — 

He  didn't  spare  his  pockets. 

The  rockets  came,  but  Jonathan 

Had  somehow  lost  his  spirit, 
There  was  a  sudden  lull  of  news, — 

Said  Jonathan,  "  I  fear  it 
Portends  a  storm, — 'tis  very  strange, 

The  telegraph's  unbroken. 
'  Good  news  flies  fast,'  this  silence  doth 

No  victory  betoken." 

>  July  4, 1862. 
(112) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  113 

Hour  after  hour  they  watched  the  wires, 

At  last  the  message  came, 
Old  Jonathan's  strong  faith  ne'er  tires, 

They  heard  him  but  exclaim, 
"  Just  God!"  "Just  God!"  then  turning  straight, 

"  Good  folks,"  said  he,  "  don't  weep,  sirs ; 
God's  time  ain't  come ; — be  still  and  wait, 

The  fireworks — they  will  keep,  sirs." 

But  Jonathan  to  Abram  wrote : 

"  'Tis  hard  not  to  complain,  sir, 
The  news  such  wantonness  denote ; 

My  boys !  dead  all  in  vain,  sir ; 
Dismay  and  doubt  are  gathering  fast, 

And  hope  almost  departed, 
The  future  will  be  like  the  past, 

I  own  I  ain  down  hearted." 

Said  Abraham,  "  "We  '11  live  and  learn, 

And  every  error  mend,  sir ; 
To-morrow  a  new  leaf  1 11  turn, 

1 11  straight  for  Halleck  send,  sir ; l 
Dear  Jonathan,  'twill  never  do 

To  give  up  to  depression ; 
Just  send  me  down  a  quota  new 

To  crush  out  this  secession." 

Stout  Jonathan  called  on  his  boys, 

He  found  them  not  so  willing ; 
For  some  held  back,  and  made  a  noise 

About  the  wholesale  killing ; 
Some  swore  at  Stanton,  and  hurrahed 

With  the  McClellan  party, 

1  Halleck  appointed  Gencral-in-  Chief  on  July  11, 18fi2.  ' 


114  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  some  cried  shame,  and  while  they  sparred 
The  rebs  were  waxing  hearty. 

And  British  sympathizers  were 

All  barking  in  accord,  sir  j1 
For  in  perverted  garbled  guise 

The  news  had  gone  abroad,  sir ; 
And  hints  that  looked  like  threats  came  back 

Across  the  briny  water, 
That  Johnny  Bull  his  brains  did  rack 

To  "  stop  the  horrid  slaughter." 

And  Jonathan  had  some  bad  boys, 

Unfriendly  to  the  cause,  sir ; 
They  rallied  now,  and  raised  a  cry 

Of  "  Union  as  it  was,"  sir.2 
They  said  the  war  perverted  was 

If  Sambo  lost  his  collar ; 
They  would  n't  "  give  another  man, 

And  not  another  dollar." 

Said  Jonathan,  "  My  lads,  look  here, 

You  set  of  wretched  shirks ! 
Tour  miserable  rebel  souls 

You  'd  bolster  with  such  quirks. 
'Tis  such  as  you  more  mischief  do 

Than  Stonewall  on  the  border. 
To  block  your,  game,  you  coward  crew, 

A  speedy  draft  I  '11  order." 


9th  July,  1862.  Public  meetings  in  England  called  on  the  Govern 
ment  to  mediate,  and,  if  necessary,  to  acknowledge  the  independence 
of  the  South. 

a  At  New  York  a  meeting  was  held  at  Cooper  Institute,  respon 
sive  to  a  call  addressed  to  those  who  desired  the  Union  as  it  icas. 
Speeches  by  J.  Brooks,  Fernando  Wood,  Wickiiff,  of  Ky.,  and  others. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          115 

Then  Congress,  just  to  show  the  rebs 

This  spunky  Yankee  nation 
Ain't  scared  at  trifles,  made  by  law 

An  Act  of  Confiscation.1 
The  very  day  the  Bill  was  passed, 

(I  don't  know  that  he  waited,) 
Three  thousand  slaves,  at  Vicksburg  held, 

Ben  Butler  confiscated.2 

And  volunteers  sprang  into  life, 

The  quota  far  above,  sir ; 
Said  Jonathan,  "  We  '11  end  this  strife 

If  Abe  takes  off  his  gloves,  sir." 
He  sent  a  message  then  to  Abe, 

That  all  means  coming  handy 
To  throttle  treason,  must  be  used 

By  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

So  Abraham  sits  down  and  dreams — 

Said  he,  "Thus  far  I  can  go — 
When  Jonathan  tells  me  of  means, 

He  must  refer  to  Sambo. 
Well,  if  my  generals  like  the  plan, 

One  thing  is  pretty  clear,  sir, 
If  Sambo  wants  to  be  a  man 

/  shall  not  interfere,  sir. 

"  With  what  I  want,  and  what  I  feel, 

I  must  not  hold  communion, 
The  object  paramount  to  me, 

Is  to  restore  the  Union.3 


1  Passed  the  Senate  12th  July,  1S62. 

2  General  Butler  confiscated  3,000  slaves  employed  on  the  Vicksbnrg 
Canal. 

8  See  President  Lincoln's  reply  to  Horace  Greeley,  August  22,  ISfil. 


116          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

If  I  can  compass  best  the  end 
By  freeing  all  the  slaves,  sir, 

I '11  free  them  all;  if  slavery- 
Will  help  the  cause  to  save,  sir, 

"  1 11  save  the  cause  with  slavery  ; 

Or  if  by  war's  coercion 
A  part  be  freed,  and  Union  saved, 

Why,  then,  I  '11  free  a  portion. 
Poor  Sambo's  fate  doth  trouble  me, 

It 's  heavy  on  my  soul,  sir, 
But  just  as  far  as  I  can  see, 

It 's  out  of  my  control,  sir." 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

MEANWHILE  Mac's  army  on  the  James 

So  worn  and  decimated, 
Sat  down  to  wonder  who  to  blame, 

And  reinforcements  waited. 
"  I  've  fifty  thousand  men,"  Mac  said, 

"  I  've  counted  them  all  o'er,  sir ;" 
Abe  figured  up  the  lists,  and  made 

Out  thirty  thousand  more,  sir. 


Jeff  quickly  counted  up  his  cost ; 

Said  he,  "  I  well  divine,  sir, 
The  Yanks  have  played  their  trump  and  lost ; 

Now  Lee  call  out  in  line,  sir, 
Your  invalids — those  skulking  ones 

Into  the  ranks  must  go,  sir ; 
Each  man  who  can  support  a  gun, 

Whether  he  will  or  no,  sir. 

"  If  ever  we  're  to  strike  a  blow, 

'Tis  now  when  Abe 's  surprised,  sir, 
By  Mac's  defeat ;  his  army  lies 

So  much  demoralized,  sir, 
That  Mac  must  spend  a  month  or  two 

In  getting  it  in  order. 
Besides,  we  '11  strike  beyond  his  reach, 

I  mean,  we  11  cross  the  border. 

(IK) 


118  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  The  war,  so  far  on  our  own  soil, 

A  dreadful  price  is  costing ; 
The  drain,  in  fact,  as  all  can  see, 

Is  perfectly  exhausting. 
Kentucky  lies  beneath  the  heel 

Of  despot  Abe,  now  quaking ; 
Her  garners  bursting  full  of  grain, 

Are  ready  for  our  taking. 

"  I  '11  change  my  programme,  Mr.  Lee, 

Since  you  the  change  advise,  sir ; 
We  '11  take  the  war  to  Africa, 

Take  Abram  by  surprise,  sir." 
The  rebs  with  Jeff  do  sympathize, 

His  army  soon  quadruples ; 
For  wrong  will  always  energize — 

The  Devil  has  no  scruples. 


Now  Halleck  straight  from  Corinth  come, 

Soon  finds  out  Lee's  intention. 
To  meet  the  case  he  sent  for  Pope, 

Then  ordered  a  suspension 
Of  Mac's  great  plan.     "  Your  men  we  need 

To  keep  the  rebels  down,  sir," 
He  wrote  to  Mac ;  "  so  make  all  speed 

And  bring  your  troops  to  town,  sir."1 

Now  Mac  could  fight  or  run  away — 

Could  talk  with  any  man  ; 
But  when  it  came  just  to  obey, 

It  was  n't  in  his  plan. 
To  Halleck's  order  much  opposed 

He  still  his  plan  advised,  sir ; 

1  Halleck  ordered  the  evacuation  of  the  Peainsula,  August  3,  1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          119 

And  wrote  for  reinforcements,  or 
He  would  be  sacrificed,1  sir. 

"  Good  Heavens !"  roared  Stanton,  in  a  rage, 

"  With  Lee  upon  our  border 
With  full  one  hundred  thousand  men, 

Mac  disobeys  this  order ! 
Pope's  forty  thousand  men  are  all 

Between  Lee  and  the  town,  sir?" 
"  Tut,  tut !"  said  Abe,  "  he  '11  surely  come, 

The  transports  have  gone  down,  sir. 

"  It 's  but  ten  days  since  Halleck  wrote,2 

He  '11  start  now  by  and  by,  sir. 
Do  keep  the  peace,  or  his  key-note 

Old  Jonathan  will  cry,  sir ; 
Pope 's  active,  and  he  will  hold  out 

And  keep  himself  from  harm,  sir, 
'Till  Mac  comes  up, — for  pity's  sake 

Don't  Jonathan  alarm,  sir." 

Out  rode  Pope  headlong,  on  his  head, 

("  Headquarters  in  the  saddle,") 
His  novel  horsemanship  soon  led         • 

Him  into  a  skedaddle. 
Lee's  tattered  veterans,  like  a  blast, 

Sweep  everything  aside, 
They  cross  the  Bapidan.    In  vain 

Pope  tries  to  stem  the  tide. 

He  struggles,  and  with  longing  eye 
Looks  out  for  Little  Mac,  sir.3 

1  On  the  4th  August  McClellan  protested  against  the  withdrawal  of 
his  army  from  the  Peninsula,  as  a  fatal  measure. 

2  Evacuation  of  Harrison's  Landing  completed  August  16, 1862. 

3  Gen.  McOlellan's  army  commenced  arriving  at  Alexandria,  Va., 
August  22,  18teJ. 


120  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

He  spies  at  length  Old  Heintzelman 
And  Porter  at  his  back,  sir.1 

Then  over  sanguine,  Pope  cries  out, 
"  They  're  coming  all !  I  see,  sir, 

We  've  got  the  rebs,"  he  telegraphs 
To  Abe,  "a  victory,  sir." 

The  telegram  came  quick  to  town, 

But  Pope  came  most  as  fast. 
The  Second  Bull  Run  battle  turned 

Out  very  like  tlje  last ; 
Pope  left  his  cannon  and  his  dead 

Upon  the  battle  field, 
And  back  to  Centreville  he  led 

His  troops  all  scorched  and  peeled.8 

Said  Jonathan  to  Betsey  Jane, 

"  There  is  a  dreadful  stint 
Of  things  they  need  in  hospital — 

They  're  sending  out  for  lint.3 
Just  call  the  children  in  from  play 

And  lay  aside  your  sewing,    . 
We  've  been  asleep  until  to-day, 

&nd  treason  has  been  growing. 

"  Whatever  hand  can  find  to  do, 
Or  tongue  can  find  to  say, 

To  help  the  cause — the  task  anew 
Commences  from  to  day ; 


1  Heintzelman  and  Porter  reinforced  Pope  at  Warrenton  Junction 
on  August  26, 1862. 

a  On  August  30, 1862. 

8  Surgeon-General  Hammond  telegraphed  to  Governor  Andrew  for 
lint  and  bandages.  It  is  calculated  that  enough  of  the  latter  was  sent 
to  swathe  the  whole  army,  d  la  mummy. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          121 

Henceforth  we  falter  not,  we  swear 
By  those  we  love  that  bleed,  sirs, 

To  crush  this  hellish  treason  out 
In  spite  of  our  poor  leaders." 

'Tis  said  McClellan's  officers, 

His  wounded  pride  to  plaster, 
Their  prophesies  of  evil  found 

Fulfilled  in  Pope's  disaster. 
Some  would  n't  serve  except  with  Mac, 

One  wrote — ('twas  strange  he  dared,  sir,) 
Pope  might  get  out  of  his  own  scrape, 

For  anything  he  cared,  sir.1 

Pope  came  out  of  his  scrape  (long  since 

His  blunders  were  retrieved,  sir ;) 
Of  his  command,  what  there  was  left, 

He  asked  to  be  relieved,  sir.2 
And  Abraham — what  could  he  do, 

On  all  sides  thus  check-mated  ? 
To  Mac  the  army  would  be  true, 

So  Mac  he  reinstated.8 

Old  Stanton  growled  and  Halleck  winced, 

And  some  said  a  court-martial 
Was  Mac's  desert ;  but  Abraham  flinched    • 

And  thought  himself  impartial. 
Said  he,  "  The  greatest  general 

Mac  may  be  or  may  not,  sir, 
At  all  events,  the  army  thinks 

He  is  the  best  I  've  got,  sir." 


1  Bonner's  History,  page  157. 

2  September  3, 1862. 

3  Gen.  McClellan  took  the  field,  Sept.  7,  1862. 

6 


122          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Mac's  troops  were  scattered  far  and  wide, 

He  got  them  well  in  hand,  sir. 
While  Lee  upon  the  other  side 

One  anxious  moment  stands,  sir ; 
"  To  cross,  or  not  to  cross,"  said  he, 

"  That  is  the  mooted  query, — 
1 11  dare !  my  men  are  full  of  pluck, 

But  then  they  're  dreadful  weary. 

"  There  are  no  soldiers  on  the  route, 

The  big  militia  rabble 
That  Abraham  has  trotted  out 

Will  make  a  homeward  scrabble 
At  sight  of  our  brave  boys  in  grey ; 

Their  unprotected  cattle 
We  '11  gather  up  and  drive  away, 

And  with  the  land  do  battle. 

"  Each  blade  of  grass  that  fire  can  touch 

Is  ripe  for  the  occasion, 
We  '11  teach  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch 

The  beauties  of  invasion ; 
They  have  no  negroes  in  the  State, 

Their  grain  can  all  be  spilled,  sir, 
There 's  many  ways  to  confiscate, 

Their  cattle  can  be  killed,  sir. 

"  The  Central  Railroad  can  be  cut, 

And  bridges  can  be  dropped, 
And  Washington  left  in  the  cold, 

With  reinforcements  stopped ; 
With  fire  in  front  and  fire  in  rear, 

As  can  be  in  a  trice,  sir, 
We  'd  have,  as  surely  would  appear, 

The  Yankees  in  a  vice,  sir." 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          123 

So  Lee  rode  out  in  bold  array 

Across  Potomac's  river, 
He  told  his  men  he  went  to  stay, 

The  wretched  to  deliver ; 
That  Maryland  was  crushed  to  earth, 

Although  the  truth  to  grant,  he 
Of  pigs  and  poultry  saw  no  dearth, 

But  then  her  rights  were  scanty. 

He  wrote  and  printed  as  he  went 

A  proclamation  grand,  *ir ; 
He  said  his  army  had  been  sent 

To  succor  Maryland,  sir  ;'  • 

He  told  the  people  they  were  bound, 

Degraded  and  oppressed, 
That  he  had  travelled  that  way  round 

To  see  their  wrongs  redressed. 

"  My  Maryland,"  most  strange  to  say, 

Responded  to  Lee's  call,  sir, 
In  rather  a  cool  sort  of  way. 

She  wa'n't  oppressed  at  all,  sir, 
She  didn't  like  this  sort  of  talk ; 

That  he  was  quite  mistaken ; 
And  from  the  State  he  'd  better  walk, 

And  let  alone  her  bacon. 

Militia  men  were  out  to  ride, 

They  didn't  like  secession, 
Their  bread  wa'n't  buttered  on  that  side ; 

In  fact,  Abe  had  possession 
Of  all  their  hearts,  and  they  would  fight 

The  Union  to  maintain,  sir, 

Issued  8th  September,  from  Frederick,  Maryland. 


124          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

That  now  they  had  set  Lee  aright 
He  might  ride  back  again,  sir. 

But  Lee  went  on ;  they  closed  behind 

Militia  volunteers,  sir, 
And  veterans  with  Bull  Run  begrimed, 

Till  Lee  begins  to  fear,  sir, 
Some  interference  may  take  place 

With  Tn's  communication, 
He  turns  about — Good  heavens !  to  face 

Th'  entire  Yankee  nation. 

Down  on  the  rebs  McClellan  swoops, 

Lee  fights  him,  at  Antietam  j1 
His  troops  were  brave,  but  then  you  see, 

The  boys  were  there  to  meet  them. 
Brave  men !  the  country  cries,  huzza ! 

Lee's  troopers  homeward  go,  sir, 
And  Abram  asks  of  Stanton,  if 

He  thinks  McClellan  sknv,  sir. 


The  rebs  went  sad  from  Maryland, 

But  made  themselves  quite  merry 
With  what  Stonewall,  and  his  bold  band 

Took  out  of  Harper's  Ferry.2 
Old  Jonathan  "  begrudged  "  the  loss, 

'Twas  anything  but  small,  sir ; 
'Twas  "  shiftless,"  traitorous,  a  crime, 

That  such  a  place  should  fall,  sir. 

»  September  17, 1862. 

a  Harper's  Terry  surrendered  to  rebel  Gen.  Jackson,  Sept.  15, 1862. 
10,500  men  surrendered  with  forty-seven  pieces  of  artillery  and  a  vast 
amount  of  stores. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

As  Lee  crossed  into  Maryland 

Bragg,  equally  as  lucky, 
Did  start  to  lead  his  ragged  band 

Across  oppressed  Kentucky.1 
His  plan, — to  strike  Ohio's  line, 

And  grab  at  Cincinnati, 
Enticed  by  smell  of  well-cured  swine 

And  other  things  as  fatty — 

Was  just  as  good  a  plan  as  Lee's, 

Both  founded  on  delusion, 
For  Old  Kentuck,  who  'd  learned  to  see, 

Resented  the  intrusion. 
When  Bragg  proclaimed  that  he  had  come5 

According  to  their  wish,  he 
Found  out  they  cheered  for  Abraham, 

And  brought  out  their  militia. 

Bragg,  not  so  mild  a  man  as  Lee, 

At  this  grew  desperate,  sir, 
He  couldn't  rule,  "Well  then,"  said  he, 

"111 plunder  the  old  State,  sir." 
His  men  rob  here,  and  they  rob  there, 

All  unopposed  the  while,  sir, 


1  Mumfordsville,  Ky.,  surrendered  to  Bragg  September  17, 1862. 
"  General  Bragg  issued  his  proclamation  September  18, 1862. 

(125) 


126          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  gather  up  a  plunder  train 
Extending  forty  miles,  sir. 

Bragg  starts  in  haste  for  Louisville 

To  get  a-head  of  Buell, 
A  day  too  late,  the  scamp  has  met 

A  disappointment  cruel, 
Militia  swarm  about  the  place, 

With  regulars  to  lead  them  ; 
The  rebs  begin  a  backward  race 

With  Buell  now  to  speed  them. 

They  have  a  brush  at  Perryville1 

With  BuelTs  cavalry,  sir, 
And  both  sides  claimed,  and  do  claim  still, 

A  splendid  victory,  sir ; 
One  thing  is  certain,  Bragg  got  off2 

With  all  his  plunder  train,  sir, 
And  Abram  gave  a  nervous  cough — 

It  went  against  his  grain,  sir, 

To  have  two  Generals  at  once 

Protested  as  too  slow,  sir ; 
And  Rosecrans  some  ready  wit 

At  Corinth  once  did  show,  sir,3 
So  Rosecrans  took  Buell's  troops 4 

Which  somebody  had  drilled,  sir, 
With  promises  we  soon  shall  see 

How  well  they  were  fulfilled,  sir. 


1  October  8, 1862. 

2  Bragg  entered  Tennessee  without  opposition  on  November  22, 1862. 

3  Battle  of  Corinth  commenced  October  3, 1862 ;  rebels  numbered 
33,000,  TCosecrans's  forces  not  over  20,000.  The  rebs  were  defeated  and 
pursued  forty  miles  in  force  and  sixty  miles  with  cavalry. 

4  November  30, 1862. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

WHILE  Mac  sits  down,  as  sit  he  will, 

Exhausted  by  exertion, 
And  Uncle  Sam  foots  up  the  bill, 

"We  '11,  just  for  our  diversion, 
Run  guard  across  the  picket  line, 

And  where  Mac  will  not  come,  sir — 
We  11  go  across  the  battle  field 

And  chase  the  rebels  Home,  sir. 

Jeff  Davis  sits  upon  his  throne 

In  a  splint-bottomed  chair,  sir, 
His  eyes  have  dim  and  hollow  grown 

And  streaked  is  his  hair,  sir ; 
Around  him  group  the  rebels  wise 

Who  make  his  Cabinet, 
The  men  who  ways  and  means  devise 

In  solemn  conclave  met. 

"The  news  at  home  is  all  we  wish, 

That  is  to  say,  it's  better," 
Said  Jeff,  "  and  as  to  things  abroad 

I've  got  a  foreign  letter. 
It  seems  that  our  affairs  have  made 

A  palpable  sensation, 
In  fact,  I  think  the  train  is  laid 

To  recognise  our  nation." 

(127) 


128          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"But  things  go  slow  on  t'  other  side, 

We  run  while  they  but  walk,  sir  ; 
In  Parliament,  the  other  day, 

They  had  a  little  talk,  sir, 
Our  side,  Old  Gregory,  and  such, 

Have  stakes  upon  the  winning ; 
The  talk  did  not  amount  to  much, 

'Twas  good  for  a  beginning. 

"  Lord  Brougham  got  up  and  made  a  speech,1 

He  said  '  There  was  no  law,  sir, 
In  all  the  land,  that  he  could  reach, 

To  meddle  with  our  war,  sir ; 
Most  dreadful  crimes  were  perpetrated, 

The  conflict  ought  to  cease, 
The  state  of  things  he  deprecated, 

And  would  do  much  for  peace. 

" '  That  slavery  was  horrid,  he 

Had  long  ago  confessed,  sir ; 
But  still  the  Northern  remedy 

He  thought  was  not  the  best,  sir ; 
The  whites  would  suffer  by  the  war 

More  than  the  negroes  had,  sir ; 
The  strife  was  very  mischievous, 

In  every  phase  was  bad,  sir.' 

"  Then  Mr.  Lindsley8  rose  and  said, 

*  That  it  was  his  intention, 
By  most  unselfish  motive  led, 

To  urge  an  intervention ; 
He  thought  the  States  Confederate 

Deserved  his  approbation, 

1  In  the  House  of  Lords,  June,  1862. 
8  July  18, 1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  129 

'Twas  difficult  to  overrate 
Their  grim  determination. 

"  *  Their  independence  (great,  applause} 

So  far  they  had  maintained ; 
And  he  considered  that  their  cause 

Was  just  as  good  as  gained.' 
Said  Mr.  Gregory,  'The  South 

On  her  side  is  for  right ; 
The  North,  moved  only  by  revenge, 

Has  nothing  else  in  sight.' 

"  Quoth  Palmerston,  '  I  hope  the  House 

"Will  vote  itself  content 
To  leave  the  subject  in  dispute 

Unto  the  Government.' 
So  Gregory  deferred  the  task, 

'Twas  useless,  he  foresaw,  sir ; 
And  Lindsley  did  permission  ask 

His  motion  to  withdraw,  sir." 


Said  Jeff,  "Why  don't  Old  Mason  try 

The  dodge  so  poplar  here, — 
Get  up  mass  meetings,  raise  a  cry, 

And  pay  the  crowd  to  cheer?" 
"  They  tried  that,  Jeff,  in  Manchester, 

The  craven-hearted  crowd  there, 
Starving  for  lack  of  cotton,  sir, 

Beared  out  for  Abe  so  loud  there — 

"  That  little  Vic  in  London  heard, 
And  wiped  her  weeping  eyes, 

And  bade  her  Lords  (a  thing  absurd) 
A  little  plan  devise ; 
6* 


130          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

A  plan  that  never  could  have  sprung 

In  any  other  head,  sir : 
It  was  to  stop  their  foolish  mouths 

By  filling  them  with  bread,  sir." 

Said  Eegan,  "What  Floyd  prophesied 

Has  happened  true,  indeed ; 
As  well  depend  on  England  as 

Upon  a  broken  reed. 
Her  forfeiting  our  confidence 

Is  not  so  much  through  knavery ; 
Her  hands  are  tied,  to  all  intents, 

She  daren't  support  our  slavery. 

"  How  would  it  do  if  Mason  should, 

In  short,  insinuate,  sir, 
That  things  were  ripe  (an  idea  good) 

For  a  Protectorate,  sir? 
Eepublics  (on  that  point  agreed) 

Have  proved  to  be  but  failures ; 
A  Monarchy  (by  her  own  creed) 

Would  cure  our  chronic  ailures. 

"  Well  that  might  have  a  little  weight 

With  England ;  but  there 's  France,  sir ; 
Her  power  to  help  us  is  too  great 

To  risk  upon  that  chance,  sir. 
Besides,  we  dar'n't  in  good  faith  yet 

Propose  this  wise  solution ; 
The  people  still  have  strength  to  fret 

And  foment  revolution." 

Said  Jeff,  "  What  can  be  Nap's  intent, 
Old  'Thouvenal  was  dry?'1 

1  A  letter  to  the  Mobile  Register,  of  13th  March,  says  "  The  Southern 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         131 

So  SHdell  wrote,  the  day  he  went, 

His  sentiments  to  try. 
'Tis  very  strange,  events  turn  out 

For  this  Confederation, 
So  different  in  all  respects 

From  wisest  calculation." 

Said  Benjamin,  "  These  foreign  powers 

Are  watching  General  Lee,  sir ; 
Their  blood  is  not  so  hot  as  ours, 

They  wait  a  victory,  sir. 
To  make  them  sure  our  cause  is  just 

"We  must  make  Abram  bleed,  sir ; 
They  don't  take  principles  on  trust, 

We  're  right  if  we  succeed,  sir. 

"  Napoleon  has  eagle  eyes, 

He  looks  for  our  resources ; 
And  I  '11  be  bound  he 's  weighing  now 

Both  ours  and  Abram's  forces. 
Whichever  way  the  things  may  turn, 

His  plan  will  cost  much  labor ; 
He  still  has  many  things  to  learn 

If  he 's  to  be  our  neighbor. 

Munroe's  old  doctrine  troubles  him  ; 

In  case  our  cause  is  lost,  sir, 
Why,  Mexico 's  a  Tartar  grim ; 

He  '11  find  out  to  his  cost,  sir, 
That  Jonathan,  if  he  whips  us, 

No  idle  words  will  bandy ; 
O'er  all  this  continent  he  11  play 

His  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

Commissioners  are  greatly  dispirited  at  the  reception  which  M.  Thou, 
veiial  gave  Mr.  SHdell." 


132  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Good  heavens !  one  would  think,"  cried  Jeff, 

You  were  a  Union  man,  sir — 
WE  WHIPPED  !  and  our  cause  LOST.   Why  zounds ! 

There  is  no  power  that  can,  sir, 
Subdue  the  South.     Our  cause  is  won  ! 

The  enemy  at  bay,  sir, 
With  grave  dissensions  in  his  camp, 

Grows  weaker  every  day,  sir." 

Said  Walker,  "  Drafts  are  very  close, 

And  rations  very  small,  sir, 
And  fever  raging,  and  no  dose 

Of  quinine,  none  at  all,  sir." 
Said  Mallory,  "  And  the  blockade 

Is  growing  very  tight,  sir ; 
It 's  dreadful  risk,  I  've  heard  it  said, 

To  run  it  day  or  night,  sir. 

"  The  Florida1  has  just  got  in 

By  dint  of  desperate  zeal,  sir. 
And  lies  all  bruised  and  battered  in 

The  harbor  of  Mobile,  sir. 
Our  privateers  do  well  enough, 

They've  cleared  ths  Atlantic  route,  sir; 
And  captured  lots  of  Yankee  stuff, 

But  then  it 's  all  kept  out,  sir." 

"Well,  well,"  said  Jeff,  "our  friends  abroad 

At  every  foreign  court, 
(I  won't  include  the  Czar's,)  you  know, 

Will  never  grudge  a  port. 
John  Bull  has  more  at  stake  than  we, 

He  '11  help  us  in  this  scrape,  sir ; 

1  September  4, 1862, 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          133 

Look  at  the  splendid  ships  he  sends 
All  fitted  in  fine  shape,  sir, 

"  With  guns  and  ammunition,  manned 

By  British  sailors  bold,  sir ; 
He 's  something  new  upon  the  stocks ; 

Whenever  we  've  the  gold,  sir, 
He  '11  send  us  navies,  fleets  of  rams, 

(But  this  is  not  to  mention,) 
My  information  comes  direct 

That  this  is  his  intention. 

"  Earl  Kussell  did  a  clever  thing,1 

The  Yankees  have  their  master, 
And  Seward  will  have  need  of  skill 

To  make  a  soothing  plaster 
For  Abraham's  sensibility, 

And  Jonathan's  back  bone,  sir, 
When  Semmes  the  Alabama  sails 

A  privateer  full  grown,  sir." 

Said  Memminger,  "  In  my  strong  box 

Our  money  safe  doth  lie,  sir  ; 
Nice  printed  notes,  a  mine  of  wealth, 

If  there  was  aught  to  buy,  sir. 
I  need  a  coat,  and  so  do  you, 

And  Jeff  I  'm  not  in  fun,  sir, 
What  Benjamin  has  said  is  true, 

And  something  must  be  done,  sir. 

"  Our  friends  up  North  are  rising  now," 
Said  Jeff,  "  there 's  help  at  hand,  sir, 


1  When  minister  Adams  complained  of  the  building  of  the  Florida  at 
Liverpool  Lord  Russel  said  that  she  was  being  built  for  the  Italians. 


134  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

There 's  many  a  foe  in  Abram's  camp, 
And  many  a  secret  band,  sir, 

At  work  for  us, — to  undermine 
The  sanguine  Yankee  nation, 

We  '11  make,  when  all  our  plans  combine, 
A  startling  demonstration. 

"  They  don't  just  like  to  show  their  hand 

Until  they  have  good  hold,  sir, 
They  hesitate  to  take  a  stand, 

Success  will  make  them  bold,  sir  ; 
This  negro  question  soon  will  give 

A  chance  for  an  attack,  sir, 
They  11  use  to  purpose  for  our  cause' 

Abe's  Habeas  Corpus  Act,  sir." 

Said  Memminger,  "  I  read  last  night 

That  Foote — sly  as  a  mouse,  sir, 
Had  made,  if  I  have  read  aright, 

And  pressed  it  on  the  House,  sir, 
A  motion,  it  comes  in  so  well 

If  you  are  so  agreed,  sir, 
'Tis  printed  in  the  Daily  Whig, 

1 11  from  the  paper  read,  sir. 

" '  Resolved,  that  Providence  Divine 

Continuing  to  bless 
Our  arms,  for  several  months  now  past 

With  eminent  success ; 
That  the  Confederate  Government 

With  strength  on  the  increase,  sir, 
Would  be  most  fully  justified 

In  fixing  terms  of  peace,  sir.' " 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          135 

"  That 's  good ! "  in  chorus  roared  the  whole 

Of  this  vile  traitorous  clan,  sir. 
"  So  true  !  "  cried  Reagan  (postmaster) ; 

"  Foote  is  a  useful  man,  sir ; 
But  ice  all  know  there 's  much  to  do 

Before  our  troubles  end,  sir ; 
Contingencies  to  struggle  through, 

And  broken  plans  to  mend,  sir. 

"There 's  still  one  other  thing  to  try 

Our  desperate  cause  to  save,  sir, 
'Twill  golden  commendations  buy — 

Emancipate  the  slave,  sir." 
"EMANCIPATE  ! "  roared  out  King  Jeff, 

"Knock  out  our  corner  stone  ! " 
"EMANCIPATE  !  "  cried  Memminger, 

In  a  lugubrious  tone. 

"Emancipate!  why  that's  the  cause 

Of  all  our  tribulation, 
The  ground  of  our  secession  was 

The  ghost  emancipation." 
"  Well,  well,  the  ghost  will  be  a  fact, 

Or  I  'm  not  wise  at  all,  sir, 
'Tis  policy  for  us  to  act, 

And  Yankee  Abe  forestall,  sir. 

"  We  can't  make  other  people's  eyes ; 

The  eyes,  Jeff,  of  the  masses, 
Don't  see  things  of  a  proper  size — 

We  must  provide  them  glasses  ; 
They  don't  like  slavery  'tis  clear, 

There 's  something  in  a  name,  sir, 
Just  change  it,  Jeff,  the  thing  itself 

Will  always  be  the  same,  sir. 


136  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Whoever  in  this  mortal  strife 

First  writes  the  one  word  'FREE' 
Upon  their  flag, — of  Johnny  Bull 

Will  have  the  sympathy. 
Old  Abe  stands  in  the  Yankees'  light ; 

The  phantom  Constitution 
Will  soon  be  laid — another  fight 

Will  banish  that  illusion." 

"If  I  thought  that"  said  Jeff,  "I'd  play 

My  card  upon  the  instant, 
But,  bless  my  soul !  what  could  I  say 

To  make  it  seem  consistent  ?  " 
"  Why,  you  forget,  we  always  said 

That  England  might  rely 
Upon  our  honor,  that  the  slave 

We  'd  free,  sir,  by  and  by. 

"  That 't  wa'n't  expedient  at  first, 

The  thought  to  entertain* 
But  deference  to  England's  views 

Our  people  does  constrain, 
To  sacrifice  the  right  divine. 

And  Jeff,  look,  here's  a  pen,  sir, — 
To  see  how  such  a  thing  would  read, 

Just  write  a  specimen,  sir." 

Jeff  half  in  earnest,  in  a  trice 

Took  up  a  brownish  sheet, 
And  wrote  according  to  advice, 

And  logically  neat ; 
The  while  his  fellow  traitors  sat 

In  mocking  speculation, 
Of  how  Old  Abe  would  look  upon 

Jeff's  Freedom  Proclamation. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         137 

Jeff  finished  and  threw  down  his  quill, 

He  looked  somewhat  excited ; 
Said  he,  "  How  feeble  is  man's  will ; 

We  mortals  how  short-sighted ! 
"What  none  could  guess  one  year  ago 

This  paper  doth  reveal, 
Our  desperate  shift, — here,  Benjamin, 

Put  on  the  official  seal." 

[The  seal  was  something  just  got  up 

In  "  Congress,"  lately  met,  sir ; 
A  grey-back  in  the  foreground  stood 

A-charging  bayonet,  sir ; 
Behind,  a  woman  and  a  child 

Just  coming  out  of  church, 
With  hands  upraised,  as  if  the  reb 

Had  left  them  in  the  lurch. 

The  background  was  a  sun  rampant 

Just  over  a  plantation ; 
A  wreath  around  the  whole,  composed 

Of  products  of  the  nation ; 
Of  sugar-cane,  tobacco,  rice 

And  cotton  in  profusion ; 
The  margin  bore  the  gay  device — 
"  Our  Homes  and  Constitution.'] 

As  Benjamin  took  up  the  wax 

And  lit  a  tallow  candle, 
There  was  a  movement  at  the  door, 

A  turning  of  the  handle. 
A  voice  called,  "  Jeff,  do  let  me  in, 

My  entrance  do  not  hinder ; 
With  none  to  send,  I  came  myself ; 

It 's  I,  sir — General  Winder."1 

1  Commandant  of  Department  of  Richmond. 


138  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Jeff,  "  what  is  the  news  ? 

Is 't  something  from  the  front,  sir  ?" 
Old  Winder  turns  the  quid  he  chews, 

And  gives  an  awkward  grunt,  sir. 
Said  he,  "  King  Jeff,  the  slaves  in  town 

Have  got  some  news,  I  swear,  sir ; 
In  groups  they  're  walking  up  and  down 

With  most  mysterious  air,  sir. 

"  They  look  exactly  as  they  did 

Sometime  in  April  last ; 
They  got  before  us  then  the  news 

The  District  BUI  was  passed. 
I  cannot,  for  the  life  of  me, 

Get  hold  of  any  clue,  sir ; 
But  here 's  a  note  from  Ould,  just  come, 

I  've  brought,  King  Jeff,  for  you,  sir." 

Jeff  tore  it  open,  quickly  scanned, 

And  passed  it  to  another ; 
Dead  silence  fell  upon  the  band 

As  each  essayed  to  smother 
His  deep  emotion,  as  he  reads 

The  "  Clownish  Yankee  nation 
Has  made,  once  more,  the  better  speed, 

And  won — 'The  proclamation.' " 

Ould  wrote  "  The  truce-boat  had  come  in 
With  papers  which  he  reckoned 

King  Jeff  might  like  to  see  ;  they  were 
All  dated  twenty-second"1 

He  called  attention  to  the  fact 
There  was  a  proclamation 

1  September  22,  a  preliminary  Proclamation  of  Emancipation  was 
Issued. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  139 

Just  issued  by  the  despot  Abe, 
Of  full  emancipation. 

Jeff  raised  his  luckless  document, 

The  candle  still  was  lighted ; 
He  put  the  paper  in  the  blaze, 

And  one  more  scheme  was  blighted. 
He  watched  the  blackened  ashes  fall, 

The  puffing  smoke  ascend,  sir ; 
Said  he,  "  So  Abe's  bright  hopes  will  fall, 

His  proclamation  end,  sir." 

"  What 's  to  be  done,  King  Jeff,"  said  one, 

(Despairingly  he  spoke,  sir,) 
"  To  burst  Old  Abraham's  big  gun 

And  make  it  end  in  smoke,  sir  ?" 
"  We  '11  think  of  that  anon ;  meanwhile 

I'll  send  the  papers  out,  sirs ; 
'Twill  be  diversion  to  the  crowd, 

A  thing  to  talk  about,  sirs." 

The  rebel  press1  in  spasms  went 

And  spread  the  hot  infection ; 
Declared  "  Abe's  pen  had  made  a  bid 

For  servile  insurrection ; 
That  Butler  was  a  holy  saint 

Compared  with  his  vile  master ; 
But  such  a  fiendish  programme  would 

Bring  Abraham  disaster." 

»  Eichmond  Whig,  October  1, 1862. 


CHAPTEE    XXII. 

Bur  Abe,  unterrified,  at  home 

Was  busy  calculating 
The  cost,  with  Jonathan,  and  both 

Were  quietly  debating 
The  ways  and  means,  for  both  agreed 

The  war  was  just  begun,  sir ; 
So  steadily  they  set  to  work 

To  do  what  must  be  done,  sir. 

Said  Jonathan,  "  The  foe  at  home, 

Bight  in  the  family,  sir, 
Must  be  attended  to,  Old  Abe, 

And  that,  too,  speedily,  sir. 
Some  foreigners  who  've  come  ashore 

Among  our  honest  folks, 
Make  awful  discord ;  John  Bull  roars, 

And  Johnnie  Crapeau  croaks. 

"  They  claim  protection  from  our  laws, 

And  act  as  rebel  spies  ; 
Discourage  those  who  go  to  fight, 

And  send  abroad  vile  lies. 
These  cunning  copperheads  can  dodge 

The  law ;  it  is  a  fact,  sir. 
You  '11  have  to  set  aside  for  them 

The  Habeas  Corpus  Act,1  sir." 

1  Set  aside  October  34,  in  cases  of  those  who  aid  and  abet  rebellion 
and  discourage  enlistments. 
(140) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          141 

"  One  thing,"  said  Abe,  "  this  Government 

(And  I  must  make  that  clear,  sir,) 
Will  not  allow  a  traitorous  crew 

With  it  to  interfere,  sir. 
The  only  place  for  them  to  stand 

(There 's  surely  no  delusion) 
Is  with  the  rebs,  with  Lee,  and  not 

Upon  the  Constitution." 

At  this  the  copperheads  hissed  well, 

And  talked  of  despotism  ; 
And  prophesied  in  Abram's  camp 

A  speedy,  dreadful  schism. 
"  With  traitors  North,  and  traitors  South," 

Said  Abe,  "  I  am  surrounded ; 
New  York  and  Kichmond,  in  my  mind, 

Get  terribly  confounded. 

"  A  big  job,  Jonathan,  this  war, 

Is  plainly  bound  to  be  ; 
And  what  would  be  our  wisest  plan 

I  'm  sure  I  cannot  see  ; 
I  only  know  with  hand  and  brain 

We  '11  toil  day  after  day,  sir ; 
And  at  the  Union"  you  and  I 

With  faith  will  peg  away,  sir." 

So  Abram  sent  to  Mac  to  know 

If  he  was  almost  rested. 
"Large  bodies,  Abe,"  said  Mac,  "move  slow; 

But  I  have  just  requested 
Some  extra  rations,  when  they  come, 

With  shoes,  and  guns,  from  town,  sir, 
1 11  make  a  move,  some  horses  first 

Will  have  to  be  sent  down,  sir." 


142          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Abe  sent  the  horses,  guns  and  shoes, 

McClellan  still  was  idle ; 
Old  Jonathan  did  patience  lose, 

His  wrath  was  hard  to  bridle. 
He  wrote  to  Lincoln  just  to  say 

That  "  Mac  had  got  the  cramp ;" 
So  Abe  one  bright  October  day1 

Stepped  over  to  the  camp. 

Said  he,  "I've  happened  in  to  see 

If  you  have  any  news,  sir, 
Of  Lee  this  morning  ;  by-the-by, 

Your  men  have  got  their  shoes,  sir, 
I  s'pose  they'll  start  at  once,  now,  Mac  ; 

It's  rather  late  I  know,  sir, 
To  catch  Lee's  army,  for  his  track 

Was  washed  out  long  ago,  sir. 

"  They  say  his  transportation  was 

Impeded  by  the  rains, 
And  that  you  might  have  hurried  up,4 

And  captured  all  his  trains." 
"I'd  like  to  know,"  cried  Mac,  "when  Lee's 

Light  wagons  heavy  run,  sir, 
How  you  could  well  expect  of  me 

To  move  my  heavy  guns,  sir  ?" 

"Oh,  well,"  said  Abe,  "I  didn't  know, 

Of  course,  you  must  be  right 
But,  seems  to  me,  your  cavalry 

Might  keep  the  foe  in  sight. 


1  October  2, 1862,  Mr.  Lincoln  visited  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at 
Harper's  Ferry. 

2  After  the  battle  of  Antietam,  September  17, 1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  143 

There's  Stanton  in  another  rage, 

He  says  you  let  them  go,  sir, 
And  Jonathan  wrote  me  a  page 

About  your  being  slow,  sir. 

"  His  patience 's  almost  at  an  end  ; 

You'll  save  yourself  much  sorrow, 
'Tis  my  advice,  as  I  'm  your  friend,  • 

You  'd  better  start  to  morrow." 
Said  Mac,  "  Tis  not  at  all  my  fault, 

We  sadly  need  some  pegs,  sir, 
For  tents,  I  telegraphed  for  them, 

A  week  ago,  to  Meigs,  sir. 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  is — the  fact 

I  hardly  like  to  mention, 
But  seems  to  me,  they're  all  agreed 

To  pay  but  slight  attention ; 
To  what  /  need."     "  Tut,  tut,"  said  Abe, 

(He  felt  his  choler  rising,) 
"  What  I,  alone,  have  sent  you  makes 

An  aggregate  surprising." 

Then  Abe  went  home,  and  sent  for  Meigs, 

And  to  his  satisfaction, 
Found  Little  Mac  had  no  excuse 

At  all  for  his  inaction, 
Then  took  his  pen  and  in  a  word, 

He  ordered  Mac  to  move ; 
Now  orders  sometimes  are  absurd 

And  ineffective  prove. 

Mac  did  n't  budge — he  lay  so  still, 
That  Lee,  as  rebels  said, 


144          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Sent  out  Jeb  Stuart  on  a  raid,1 

To  see  if  Mac  was  dead. 
Jeb  rode  and  plundered  far  and  wide, 

And  made  a  little  map,  sir, 
Of  Mac's  position,  as  he  lay 

A-taking  of  his  nap,  sir. 

He  burned  the  depots,  tore  up  rails, 

And  lots  of  horses  stole ; 
And  guns  and  clothing,  stopped  the  mails, 

Went  back  and  called  his  roll 
Said  he,  "  I've  traversed  Maryland, 

And  all  our  pockets  filled ; 
Destroyed  a  half  a  million's  worth, 

And  not  a  man  is  killed. 


.  The  best  of  sleepers  must  awake ; 

The  end,  sir,  of  October, 
Mac  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  then  he  spoke, 

His  words  were  few  and  sober ; 
He  gave  his  orders  for  a  move, 

With  wonderful  precision, 
And  crossed  the  river,2  just  as  Abe 

Had  come  to  a  decision. 

When  Mac  had  reached  the  other  side, 

And  skirmishing  began, 
Up  Burnside  came  and  made  a  bow, 

And  said  he  was  the  man, 
Sent  down  to  lead  the  "  Army  Grand." 

Now,  Mac  perhaps,  was  grieved, 

*  October  10, 1862. 

a  Army  of  the  Potomac  entered  Virginia  east  of  the  Blue  Eidge  35th 
of  October,  1862. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         145 

But  I've  no  doubt  of  his  command, 
He  felt  himself  relieved.1 


Said  General  Lee  to  Jefferson, 

"  This  new  man  may  be  prying, 
"We  'd  better  some  precautions  take 

In  case  he  comes  a-spying ; 
Just  send  me  in,  sir,  from  the  West,4 

Where  they  're  not  worth,  I'm  told,  sir, 
The  salt  they  're  spoiling,  some  brigades — 

This  Burnside  may  be  bold,  sir." 

So  Lee  lay  ready  waiting,  till 

He  quite  began  to  wonder, 
Of  course  he  did  n't  know — (who  did  ?) — 

About  the  pontoon  blunder. 
Said  he,  "With  nothing  else  to  do, 

While  Sumner  makes  pretenses,3 
I'll  beautify  this  tiresome  view, 

By  building  some  defences. 

The  pontoons  came  up  just  as  Lee 

Had  manned  his  rifle-pits,  sir ; 
Each  rifleman  has  steady  aim, 

And  every  bullet  hits,  sir. 
The  pontoons  lay  upon  the  shore, 

To  launch  them  Burnside,  tried ; 
The  storm  of  bullets  dashing  o'er 

His  bravery  defied. 


1  November  5, 1S62. 

a  West  Virginia,  where  the  rebels  were  destroying  salt  works. 
*  General  Sumner  threatened  to  burn  Fredericksburg,  November 
20, 1862. 

7 


146  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Now  who  will  cross  that  stream  of  death, 

The  rifle-pits  to  try,  sir  ?" 
Cried  Hendershott,  the  drummer-boy, 

"I'm  ready,  though  I  die,  sir." 
Then  leaped  into  a  boat. — "  My  lad, 

Give  way  to  older  hands,  sir." 
The  boy  hung  on  behind  the  boat, 

And  was  the  first  to  land,  sir. 


Slow,  dreadful  work ;  at  last  the  stream 

Is  crossed,1  the  foe  in  sight,  sir, 
Secure  beyond  the  sullen  town,1 

Entrenched  upon  the  heights,  sir. 
Now,  up  the  slopes,  where  cannon  deal 

Out  canister  and  grape, 
Good  heavens !  from  such  a  storm  of  fire 

Can  anything  escape  ? 

They  stagger  back,  they  charge  again, 

They  waver,  reel  and  fall — 
Recharge,  until  the  carnage  might 

The  stoutest  heart  appal. 
All  day  they  press,  as  if  their  death 

Were  emulous  to  meet ; 
But  never  foe  at  Malvern  Hill 

Won  such  a  dread  defeat 

Night  fell,  the  battered  army  lay, 
Some  sunk  in  dreamless  sleep ; 

But  eyes  there  were  that  o'er  that  day 
Hot  bitter  tears  did  weep. 


1  Union  troops  crossed  the  river  llth  of  December,  1862. 
8  Fredericksburg,  Va. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         147 

Twelve  thousand  men,  who  in  the  morn, 

Were  glad  in  buoyant  Hie, 
Now  "  missing  " — lying  mangled — torn, 

Or  martyred  in  the  strife. 

How  sped  the  hours  on  yonder  slopes  ? 

Did  any  dream  of  home, 
To  flickering,  fluttering,  fainting  hearts, 

Did  any  succor  come  ? 
Drop  down  the  curtain,  let  our  gaze 

Be  clouded  by  the  night ; 
Ah  me  1  but  there  are  those  who  live 

"Who  saw  and  bore  the  sight. 

The  army  lay  two  days  in  camp 

Expecting  General  Lee,  sir ; 
Lee  didn't  come,  he  was  content 

With  Fabian  policy,  sir. 
Then  Burnside  wrote  to  Abraham, 

"We  couldn't  stand  the  fire ; 
Lee  won't  come  out  and  fight  us  fair, 

And — so — we  must  retire." 

Abe  read  the  note,  and  with  a  groan, 

He  handed  it  to  Chase.1 
Said  he,  "  This  will  not  help  your  Loan," 

Then — tried  the  worst  to  face ; 
And  wondered  how  Old  Jonathan 

Would  bear  the  chilling  news ; 
"  If  1  were  gone,"  thought  he,  "  they  might 

A  better  leader  choose. 

"  But  then  things  do  not  go  by  chance 
In  this  strange  world  of  ours ; 

1  Chase,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury 


148          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And.  Eight  will  not  be  crushed  by  "Wrong- 
There  is  a  Billing  Power. 

I  'm  but  a  way  through  which  to  work 
God's  plan :  I  cannot  alter ; 

I  can  be  patient.     HE  is  wise, 
His  purpose  will  not  falter." 

But  Abram's  Cabinet  declared 

They  felt  aggrieved ;  in  fine, 
Old  Jonathan  was  finding  fault, 

They  'd  better  all  resign  j1 
Things  didn't  please  him — as  for  that 

Nobody  could  be  pleased,  sir ; 
The  odium  would  fall  on  them, 

They  'd  like  to  be  released,  sir. 

" Why,  as  to  Name"  said  honest  Abe, 

"  That  isn't  hard  to  bear,  sir ; 
Old  Jonathan  is  bowed  to  earth 

With  sorrow  and  with  care,  sir. 
If  he  can  have  the  heart  to  blame, 

Perhaps  'twill  do  him  good,  sir ; 
And  I  don't  mind,  it 's  all  the  same, 

He  11  quickly  change  his  mood,  sir." 

Just  here  a  note  from  Jonathan 

Was  put  in  Abram's  hand  : 
"I  write  in  haste,  dear  Abe,"  it  ran, 

"  That  you  may  understand 
A  Nor'-west  storm  is  setting  in, 

You  may  rough  weather  find,  sir ; 


1  Secretaries  Seward  and  Chase  tendered  their  resignations  Decem 
ber  18th,  in  consequence  of  the  action  of  some  Republican  senator 
concerning  the  fight  on  the  Rappahannock.  They  were  subsequently 
withdrawn. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          149 

But  just  stand  steady  at  the  helm, 
And  scud  before  the  wind,  sir. 

"  Nail  to  the  mast  the  starry  flag, 

Look  out  each  rotten  plank,  sir ; 
Don't  touch  at  any  foreign  port, 

And  never  drop  an  anchor. 
Don't  swerve  a  hair's  breadth  from  your  course, 

Whatever  blasts  may  come,  sir ; 
You  've  got  the  chart  now  safe  aboard, 

Let  drive  the  vessel  home,  sir." 

"  Ah !  that  reminds  me  now,"  said  Abe, 

"  Here,  Seward,  take  a  chair,  sir ; 
Pull  out  that  lower  table-drawer, 

The  chart  is  lying  there,  sir." 
Abe  tried  his  hand  (he  was  to  do 

"What  never  could  be  altered) — 
"  It  must  not  tremble,"  Abram  said, 

"  Or  men  may  say  I  faltered. 

"  They  had  fair  warning  I  would  strike, 

The  rebs  would  have  it  so,  sir', 
Now  come  what  will,  I  keep  my  word 

Alike  with  friend  and  foe,  sir. 
Because  the  South  wants  to  be  blind, 

Shall  we  hold  back  the  sun  ?" 
Abe  took  his  pen,  sat  down  and  signed 

His  Order  No.  ONE.1 

"  Now  that  will  do,"  said  Abraham, 
"  And  we  shall  know  anon,  sir, 


1  Emancipation  Proclamation,  issued  January  1, 1863,  in  the  form 
of  Order  No.  1. 


150          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

How  it  will  work  ;  at  any  rate, 
Our  harpoon 's  in  the  monster. 

We  must  take  care,  that  we  steer  straight — 
What  would  this  stroke  avail,  sir, 

If  he  should  swamp  our  ship  of  state 
With  one  flop  of  his  tail,  sir." 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

SAYS  Rosecrans  to  his  brave  men, 

"  Unfurl  the  starry  flag, 
For  Abe  is  watching  how  we  play 

Our  little  game  of  Bragg. " 
Up  rose  a  hundred  thousand  men,1 

"  Att  ready,  now  are  we,"  sir ; 
The  rebs  to  Murfreesboro  run, 

In  Western  Tennessee,  sir. 

Down  in  the  cedar  glades  they  lurk 

"  Lie  low,  till  they  are  near," 
Said  Bragg,  "  then  up  and  deal  them  out 

A  gift  for  the  New  Year."9 
They  fought  that  drear  December  day, 

That  day  with  blood  so  red,  sir, 
That  day  our  boys  at  Vicksburg  spent 
In  burying  their  dead,  sir.3 

That  night  the  awful  closing  year, 

Bore  upward  to  their  God 
Seven  thousand  souls,  whose  bodies  lay 

All  broken  on  the  sod. 
Seven  thousand  men,  that  Rosecrans 

Led  gaily  in  the  morn ; 

1  Left  Nashville  on  December  26, 1862. 
*  Battle  of  Murfreesboro  commenced  December  31, 18C2. 
3  Sherman  attacked  the  works  at  Vicksburg  on  the  27th,  28th,  and 
29th.   \Va9  repulsed  with  a  loss  of  between  4,000  and  5,000. 

(151) 


152  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  rest  were  driven  slowly  back1 
With  banners  stained  and  torn. 

Cried  Kosecrans,  "  What  shall  we  do  ?" 

"Alas!  we  must  make  speed 
To  Nashville,"  said  his  officers ; 

"  And  so  you  are  agreed," 
Old  Kosey  said,  "  to  make  retreat  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,  sir,  to  our  sorrow." 
"  Welljj^rs^,  my  lads,  we'll  up  and  meet 

The  rebs  again  to  morrow." 


McCook  went  out  at  early  dawn,5 

Took  back  the  ground  they  'd  lost,  sir, 
Then  Bragg  awoke,  and  furious  on 

He  lead  the  rebel  host,  sir ; 
Now  Rosecrans  upon  a  hill 

Had  placed  his  guns  in  rows, 
And  plunging  down  through  rebel  ranks 

The  shot  deep  ploughing  goes. 

'Twas  fearful  din,  the  shock  of  arms, 

The  shout,  the  groan,  the  cheer, 
Pierce  through  and  through  the  cedar  groves 

Till  little  birds  in  fear, 
Flutter  and  fall  all  paralyzed, 

And  timid  hares  confounded 
Grow  tame,  run  in  upon  the  field 

And  nestle  'mong  the  wounded. 

'T  was  fiercely  hot,  Old  Eosey's  will 
They  cannot  hope  to  alter ; 

1  Nearly  four  miles,  with  the  loss  of  28  pieces  of  Artillery. 
*  January  2, 1S63. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          153 

His  cannon  belch  out  fire  until 

The  rebels  pause  and  falter ; 
They  turn,  surge  back,  and  turn  again, 

And  down  the  hill  they  flee,  sir, 
And  Rosey  sends  to  speed  them  quick 

Across  the  Tennessee,  sir. 

Then,  while  he  waited  there  to  watch 

The  raiders  and  guerrillas, 
Old  Rosey  turned  his  swords  to  ploughs, 

His  army  into  tillers ; 
Quoth  he,  "We'll  have,  our  next  campaign, 

A  vegetable  diet ; 
This  soil  should  good  potatoes  grow, 

At  any  rate  I'll  try  it." 

Meanwhile,  Sir  Beauregard  he  makes 

Another  proclamation,1 
(The  usual  form  his  terror  takes,) 

That  he  has  information 
The  brutal  foe  ere  long  will  come, 

The  attack  will  soon  be  made,  sirs, 
And  to  protect  their  wives  and  homes 

He  calls  for  men  and  spades,  sirs. 

Now  Gideon  "Welles  and  Abraham 

Their  monitors  had  sent, 
To  Charleston  Harbor,  for  to  try 

A  wise  experiment, 
The  fleet  had  thirty-four  great  guns, 

Three  hundred  in  the  forts,  sir, 
To  silence  these  Dupont  went  out9 — 

It  was  n't  pleasant  sport,  sir. 

>  February  18, 1863. 

2  Attack  made  April  7, 1863.    The  action  lasted  30  minutes. 


154          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Dupont  was  worsted  and  the  rebs 

Thereby  were  so  elated 
They  would  have  burst,  but  they  were  used 

To  being  so  inflated. 
But  while  they  crowed  in  ecstacy, 

Bold  Grierson  hot  haste  made,  sir,1 
And  swept  clean  through  their  Dixie  Land 

Upon  his  famous  raid,  sir. 

And  Morgan's  troopers  rob  and  slay 

Like  other  chivalrie,  sir, 
While  Jeff  sends  up  his  imps  to  play 

In  Eastern  Tennessee,  sir. 
They  pinch  the  children — fathers  kill, 

And  flog  the  grey-haired  mother, 
And  loose  their  hounds  among  the  hills, 

To  hunt  the  fleeing  brother. 

Theft,  murder,  aye,  and  crimes  too  foul 

To  breathe  in  mortal  ear 
They  perpetrate,  and  Jeff  will  howl 

In  agony  of  fear, 
When  in  the  retribution  land, 

He  hears  the  devil  say,  sir, 
"  Here  comes  the  prince  of  our  brave  band 

Of  chivalry  in  grey,  sir." 

»  Left  La  Grange  April  17, 1863. 


CHAPTEE   XXIV. 

IN  Eichmond  one  bright  April  day 

Jeff  gave  a  dinner  party 
To  Orr  and  Wigfall,  Foote  and  Clay, 

And  Pryor  (just  as  hearty 
As  when  he  went  with  flag  of  truce 

And  drank  the  Major's  brandy l 
Way  down  in  Sumter,  to  the  tune 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy.) 

And  Stephens  came,  but  could  n't  stay 

He  said  he  felt  quite  sick,  sir. 
At  sight  of  food,  his  liver  lay 

As  heavy  as  a  brick,  sir. 
He  took  his  hat,  and  went  away 

With  a  decided  shiver, 
He  didn't  know,  I  'm  free  to  say, 

His  conscience  from  his  liver. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Jeff,  "  you  '11  find 

This  is  a  splendid  roast 
Of  Yankee  beef,  caught  on  a  raid, 

Let 's  give  old  Jeb  a  toast ; 
Says  Wigfall,  "  This  is  better  fare, 

Than  dining  on  mule  meat,  sirs, 

1  Pryor  acting  on  the  staff  of  Beauregard,  went  to  propose  condi 
tions  to  Major  Anderson.  During  the  interview  Pryor  helped  himself 
to  a  glass  of  something  which  he  mistook  for  brandy.  The  doctor  and 
a  dose  of  ipecac  (and  some  say  a  stomach  pump,)  were  summoned  to 
enable  Pryor  to  survive  the  effects  of  the  dram,  which  the  doctor  pro 
nounced  poison."— See  Tribune,  April  19,  1861. 

(155) 


156  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

They  say  Port  Hudson  garrison, 
Think  mice  and  rats  a  treat,  sirs." 

"  Ah,  well ! "  said  Jeff,  "  our  soldiers  dine 

On  glory  every  day, 
But  taste  this  sparkling  champagne  wine," — 

"  Oh !  yes,"  said  Clement  Clay ; 
"  This  wine  has  run  Old  Abe's  blockade." 

"  Not  so,"  said  Jeff,  "  it  came,  sir, 
From  New  York  friends,  a  present  made, 

By — well !  we  11  call  no  names,  sir. 

"  They  wish  us  well,  and  by  the  by, 

Peace  movements  are  begun ; 
Our  friends  have  found  their  voice  at  last, 

And  Abram's  course  is  run. 
The  mighty  rabble  of  New  York, 

Has  caught  the  infectious  cry,  sir, 
Raised  by  the  Hoosiers  of  the  West, 

Ere  long  they  will  defy,  sir, 

"  The  dungeons  which  had  been  their  doom 

But  one  short  year  ago ; 
Vallandigham  in  Congress  now, 

The  white  flag  dares  to  show. 
This  party  new  will  not  consent 

The  South  to  subjugate,  sir, 
We  've  but  in  one  more  shock  of  arms, 

Our  course  to  vindicate,  sir." 

Said  Mr.  Foote,  "  I  '11  introduce ' 
In  Congress  resolutions, 


»  On  January  28, 18f>3,  Henry  S.  Foote  introduced  resolutions,  offer 
ing  an  alliance  offensive  and  defensive  with  such  of  the  Northwest 
States  as  would  lay  down  their  arms,  etc.,  etc. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         157 

That  this  confederation  deems, 

It  would  be  no  intrusion 
If  these  North  Western  States  lay  down 

Their  arms,  and  ask  admission, 
We  'd  grant  them  Mississippi  trade, 

On  only  one  condition. 

"  That  they  unite  with  us  in  war, 

In  fierce  undying  hate,  sir, 
Of  everything,  that  ever  saw 

The  curs'd  New  England  States,  sir." 
"  I  'd  die  in  peace,"  said  Jeff,  "  if  I 

Could  only  once  behold, 
The  South  and  West  in  one  firm  tie, 

The  North  '  out  in  the  odd.' " 

"  Our  organ,  Jeff,"  said  Mr.  Orr, 

"  I  mean  the  Daily  News, 
Is  coming  out  a  little  strong, 

I  'm  fearful  we  shall  lose 
What  we  have  gained,  if  Jonathan 

Our  intercourse  should  guess,  sir ; 
He 's  fit  for  any  deed  ;  he  might 

The  Daily  News  suppress,  sir." 

"  No  fears,"  said  Jeff,  "  Old  Jonathan 

Is  busy  with  the  negroes, 
Fernando  Wood 's  a  Union  man, 

For  anything  that  he  knows ; 
He  has  enough  to  do,  to  feed 

His  mercenary  Hessians, 
And  furnish  powder  to  his  Grant, 

At  least  that 's  my  impression." 


158          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Said  Wigfall,  "  What  is  Grant  about  ?  " 

(Now  WigfaU  in  the  Senate, 
Was  apt  to  let  grave  secrets  out, 

Somewhat  as  Gordon  Bennett 
Among  the  paper  folks,)  said  he, 

"  That  Grant  I  know  of  old,  sirs, 
The  bull  dog 's  got  us  by  the  throat, 

He  '11  never  lose  his  hold,  sirs." 

"  Oh,  Grant,"  said  Jeff,  "  doth  exercise, 

The  muscles  of  his  men,  sirs, 
He  '11  find  canals  will  not  surprise 

Another  Island  Ten,  sirs  ; 
But  gentlemen,  give  me  an  ear, 

There 's  Hunter  in  Car'lina, ' 
That  he  means  mischief  is  quite  clear, 

Or  I  am  no  diviner." 

"  He 's  arming  slaves."     "  Well,  Jeff,"  said  Orr, 

"  You  know  they  '11  never  fight,  sir, 
Just  tell  our  boys  to  carry  whips, 

They  '11  run  quick  at  the  sight,  sir — 
Skedaddle  like  Old  Abram's  fleet 

At  Charleston,  on  blockade, 
When  Beauregard  in  handsome  style 

That  proclamation  made." 2 

Said  Clay,  "  I  see  that  an  exchange 

Of  pris'ners  is  effected ; 
The  thing  will  work  well  for  our  cause, 

If  skillfully  directed ; 

1  Hunter  orders  negroes  to  be  drafted  March  6th,  1863. 

2  The  rebel  gunboats  attacked  the  fleet,— the  inner  line  of  blocka- 
ders  were  dispersed  for  a  few  hours.    Beauregard  and  Ingraham  is 
sued  proclamations  that  the  blockade  was  legally  raised  January  31st, 
1803. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          159 

I  noticed  as  I  came  along 

Some  soldiers  just  come  in,  sir : 
We  have  not  got  their  match,  King  Jeff, 

So  sleek,  and  fat,  and  trim,  sir." 

"  I  've  given  orders,  sir,"  said  Jeff, 

"  To  Ould,  who  has  approved, 
The  plan  to  send  off  all  the  sick 

That  can  be  safely  moved  ; 
You  see,  I  have  a  tender  heart, 

And  so  the  thought  did  come,  sir, 
That  these  poor  fellows  at  Belle  Isle 

Would  rather  die  at  home,  sir. 

"  I  hear  from  Memminger,  the  Yanks 

Do  counterfeit  our  notes," 
Said  Orr,  "  That  spurious  currency 

Quite  undetected  floats 
All  through  the  States  Confederate  ;" 

And  Memminger,  he  said,  "  It, 
Unless  soon  stopped,  ere  many  days 

Would  undermine  our  credit." 

"I  '11  introduce,"  said  Foote,  "a  bill, 

The  evil  is  immense,  sir, 
The  bill  must  make  it  once  for  all, 

A  capital  offence,  sir.1 
To  have,  to  hold,  to  circulate, 

To  look  at  such  a  note, 
I'll  draft  the  bill  this  very  night 

And  press  it  to  a  vote." 


1  Rebel  Congress  passed  a  bill  making  it  a  death  penalty  for  Union 
soldiers  to  have  in  their  possession  counterfeit  rebel  notes. 


160  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Said  Wigfall,  "There  's  a  scarcity, 

We  feel  it  little  here,  sir, 
(I  '11  take  a  glass  of  that  old  port, 

It  does  one's  spirit  cheer,  sir,) 
The  soldiers'  wives  and  families 

Most  bitterly  complain, 
You  know,  our  commissariat 

Has  taken  all  their  grain." 

Said  Jeff,  "  We  pay  for  what  we  take, 

If  the  supply  doth  fail,  sir, 
Why  let  them  plant  a  greater  crop, 

I  'm  sick  of  idle  tales,  sir ; 
They  growl  at  this  and  growl  at  that, 

No  matter  what  you  do, 
And  all  this  talk  of  scarcity 

I  tell  you  is  not  true. 

"  There 's  plenty  in  the  land,  I  know, 

Within  the  reach  of  all, 
Hark !  don't  you  hear  outside  a  noise, 

Did  any  body  call?" 
A  tramp  of  feet  rushed  past  the  door, 

A  noise  of  women's  tongues,  sir, 
And  fierce,  loud  cries,  in  shrillest  tones, 

In  through  the  window  rung,  sir. 

"  Good  Heavens!"  cried  Wigfall,  "here'sariot1 

Of  women  at  the  stores, 
They  're  smashing  in  the  windows,  Jeff, 

And  breaking  down  the  doors  ; 
They  've  got  the  bacon  and  the  corn, 

They  're  crying  out  for  salt,  sir  ; 

1  April  5, 1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  161 

Ah!  here's  the  soldiers  charging  down 
There  now !  they  make  a  halt,  sir, 

"  Right  opposite !  the  Mayor 's  out, 

He 's  got  the  Riot  Act ! 
My  goodness,  Jeff, — it  is  no  use, 

The  city  will  be  sacked. 
They  're  armed  with  hatchets  and  with  knives, 

They're  crying  out  for  bread  ;" 
Jeff  rose  and  called  his  orderly, 

"Send  Letcher  here,"  he  said. 

Jeff's  company  slipped  out  in  haste, 

And  quickly  disappeared, 
And  as  by  magic,  Jeff's  full  board 

Immediately  was  cleared. 
When  Letcher  came, — the  clever  twain — 

(The  riot  had  subsided,) 
Sat  down  and  wrote  a  "  true  account," 

And  to  the  Press  confided. 

Next  day,  the  Whig*  declared  the  row 

As  every  body  guesses, 
"Was  groundless, — that  the  female  mob 

Were  hunting  for  silk  dresses ! 
And  not  for  food ;  that  they  were  fat, 

Well  fed,  and  that  their  pranks,  sir, 
Were  instigated,  as  was  proved, 

Directly  by  the  Yanks,  sir. 

«  Richmond  Whig,  April  6tb,  1S63. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

WHILE  Rosey  plants  in  Tennessee, 

And  fights,  and  scouts,  and  raids,  sir, 
The  army  in  Virginia 

Has  caught,  I  am  afraid,  sir, 
The  old  disease  of  strife  and  mud. 

At  any  rate  it  lies 
In  winter  quarters,  till  the  sun 

Shines  out  in  April  skies. 

The  troops  were  worn  with  useless  toil, 

Some  said  demoralized ; 
I  only  know  that  they  were  men, 

And  who  could  be  surprised, 
If  sad  experience  had  taught 

A  lesson  of  despair,  sir ; 
"  We  're  cut  and  slaughtered  by  brigades," 

Said  they,  "  and  who  does  care,  sir  ?" 

But  Burnside  cared,  and  so  did  Abe  ; 

"  To  run  the  big  machine," 
By  pouring  oil  upon  the  springs 

They  tried,  but  soon  'twas  seen 
That  General  this,  and  General  that, 

Were  dreadfully  out  of  joint,  sir, 
And  here  and  there,  the  colonels  spat — 

Said  Burnside,  "  I  '11  appoint,  sir, 

(162) 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOO-DLE.          1G3 

Some  officers,  who  11  keep  their  fight 

To  spend  upon  the  foe." 
It  would  n't  do,  the  ghost  of  Mac 

Went  stalking  to  and  fro 
All  through  the  camp, — it  won't  be  laid  ; 

Quoth  Burnside,  "  I  divine,  sir, 
This  sort  of  work  is  not  my  trade, 

So,  Abe,  I  shall  resign,  sir !" ' 

Said  Fighting  Joe,  "I'm  not  afraid 

Of  ghosts,  or  living  men, 
Or  roaring  rebs." — "  Then  go,"  Abe  said, 

"  And  fall  upon  their  den." 
He  crossed  the  Rappahannock,2  thence 

Marched  to  the  "Wilderness, 
Said  Jonathan,  "  In  Fighting  Joe 

Lee  '11  find  his  match,  I  guess." 

Jo  made  a  splendid  fight,5  for  he 

Did  nothing  else  so  well ; 
"  He  whipped  the  rebs,"  so  much  is  clear, 

Then  happened  what  befell 
So  oft  in  former  victories 

To  those  who  won  a  fight, 
And  kept  a  way  for  a  retreat — 

Jo  crossed  back  in  the  night. 

If  any  grumbled,  't  was  n't  the  boys 

Who  lay  among  the  slain, 
In  yonder  burning  woods,4  until 

The  fire  did  ease  their  pain. 

1  Burnside  superseded  by  Hooker,  January  26th,  1863. 

2  Army  of  the  Potomac  commenced  crossing  the  Rappahannock, 
April  -29th,  1863. 

3  Battle  of  Ohancellorsville,  May  2nd,  18G3. 

4  A  number  of  wounded  were  consumed  by  the  burning  of  the 
woods,  in  the  rear  of  Charlottesville,— the  fire  was  caused  by  shells. 


164          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

It  wa'  n't  the  dead,  that  piled  in  heaps 

Lay  festering  in  the  sun. 
Perhaps  't  was  Lee ;  they  say  he  weeps, 

That  Stonewall's !  course  is  run. 


Abe  told  Old  Jonathan  the  news, 

And  all  about  the  plan, 
That  Stoneman  went  in  back  of  Lee 

Before  the  fight  began, 
To  cut  the  rebels  from  their  base, 

If  Hooker  could  have  known,  sir, 
Communication  had  been  cut, 

"I  wish  he  'd  cut  his  own,  sir." 

Growled  Jonathan ;  "  I  do  n't  like  raids, 

They  're  well  enough  for  rebs." 
"  We  want  to  show  them  we  can  match," 

Said  Abe,  "  that  one  of  Jeb's." 
"  Well,  well,"  said  Jonathan,  "  there 's  Straight * 

He 's  made  a  pretty  trail,  sir, 
Fetched  up  at  last  in  Georgia  State, 

Inside  a  rebel  jail,  sir." 

"  But  Grierson 3  did  a  handsome  thing  ;"     . 

Said  Abe,  "that  little  trip,  he 
Did  dreadful  damage  to  the  rebs, 

Way  down  in  Mississippi." 
"  I  'm  thinking,  sir,"  said  Jonathan, 

"  Indeed,  I  'm  much  afraid,  sir, 
Lee 's  been  so  still  for  two  whole  weeks, 

He'll  hatch  another  raid,  sir." 

1  General  Jackson  wounded  May  2nd.    Died  on  10th  of  May,  1863. 
*  Colonel  Straight  and  whole  command  captured  near  Rome,  Geor 
gia,  on  the  3rd  May,  1803. 
3  Left  La  Grange,  Tennessee,  17th  April,  1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         165 

And  Jonathan  was  right,  for  Lee 

Impatiently  had  waited, 
And  moved  his  troops  the  very  day 

Ohio  nominated, 
For  Governor,  Vallandigham, 

It  was  the  eleventh  of  June,  sir, 
Lee's  troopers  ride  with  guidons  gay, 

His  band  plays  Dixie  tune,  sir. 

Straight  out  across  "  My  Maryland," 

They  ride  to  Pennsylvania, 
The  Yankee  Dutch  a  second  time 

Take  the  militia  mania. 
And  quick  as  Lee  his  charger  goads, 

So  quickly  do  they  muster, 
And  all  along  the  turnpike  roads, 

Eise  heavy  clouds  of  dust,  sir. 

Tramp !  tramp !  from  Jersey  and  New  York, 

And  gallant  old  Ohio, 
Came  regiments  and  whole  brigades, 

The  rebels  to  defy,  O; 
For  Abraham  had  "  called  "  again, 

And  Jonathan  was  ready, 
And  solid  masses  of  new  men 

Tramped  on,  determined,  steady. 

Till  Lee,  who  came  to  bring  the  war 

Into  the  Northern  States,  sir, 
Astonished — listens  from  afar, 

And  thinks  the  earth  doth  quake,  sir; 
He 's  brought  the  war  to  Northern  soil, 

He  shrinks  now  from  the  test, 
The  very  ground  seems  to  recoil 

And  spurn  him  from  its  breast. 


166          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"With  troops  behind  and  troops  before. 

And  gathering  on  all  sides, 
Lee  halts,  and  stands  at  Gettysburg, 

The  issue  there  abides. 
Now,  if  he  wins — alack !  who  knows, 

Perhaps  on  Bunker  Hill,  sir, 
He  '11  call  his  roll,  at  any  rate, 

We  know  he  has  the  will,  sir. 

But  if  he  fails  to  crush  in  fight 

The  Yankees  now  at  hand,  he 
May  once  for  all  take  up  his  flight 

From  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
No  more  invasion  of  the  North, 

No  more  of  rebel  brag,  sir, 
For  bow  he  must,  however  loth, 

To  Jonathan's  old  flag,  sir. 


And  where  is  fighting  Jo  ?  asleep  ? 

Across  Potomac's  river  ? 
To  think  what  might  have  been,  doth  creep 

Upon  us  till  we  shiver. 
Jo  moved  at  last,  and  placed  his  men 

'Twixt  Washington  and  Lee, 
Then  gave  them  up  to  General  Meade,1 

The  why,  no  one  could  see. 

Now  for  a  ride  to  Hagerstown, 

To  Frederick  a  race, 
(Where  Barbara  Freitchie  waved  the  flag 

In  Stonewall  Jackson's  face. ) 

1  General  Hooker  superseded  by  General  Meade,  June  28th,  1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          167 

A  dash  at  Carlisle,  where  the  Dutch 

Sigh  after  Little  Mac,  sir, 
Then  down  in  famous  Gettysburg1 

The  rebs  their  muskets  stack,  sir. 

Meade  hurries  up  the  loyal  host, 

And  skirmishing  begins, 
The  rebs  are  checked,  they  charge  again 

And  neither  party  wins, 
For  night-fall  halts  the  advancing  foe, 

The  armies  sink  to  rest, 
Lee  in  the  shelter  of  the  wood, 

Meade  posted  on  the  crest 

Of  Cemetery  Hill.    The  bluffs 

All  bristling  on  each  side, 
With  guns,  down  pointing  to  the  town, 

The  morning  sun  abide. 
The  cold  white  marble  o'er  the  graves, 

Doth  catch  a  glimpse  of  dawn, 
Bright  bayonets  throw  back  the  first 

Faint  blush  of  coming  morn. 

The  light  grows  stronger,  and  the  sun 

Looks  out  upon  the  tombs, 
The  birds  have  now  their  song  begun, 

When  flash !  a  cannon  booms ! 
The  rebels  send  a  greeting  up, 

Meade  throws  an  answer  back, 
And  all  along  the  line,  his  troops 

Stand  waiting  the  attack. 

At  length,  a  heavy  cannonade, 
Foretells  the  coming  strife  ; 

Battle  of  Gettysburg  commenced  July  1, 1863,  and  lasted  three  days. 


168  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Then  comes  a  momentary  pause, 
When  groans  and  shrieks  are  rife. 

Then  from  the  woods,  three  columns  deep 
Sweep  forty  thousand  men, 

Determined,  desperate,  is  their  aught 
Of  help  in  mortal  ken  ? 

They  wrestle,  sway,  advance,  and  reel, 

Surge  up  against  a  rock, 
Foe  pressed  to  foe,  steel  clashing  steel, 

Shock  answering  to  shock ; 
Brave  Sickles  falls  and  Hancock's  down, 

But  Sedgwick's  in  the  breach  ; 
The  rebel  line  ebbs  slowly  back 

Beyond  the  cannon's  reach. 

Another  night  upon  the  field, 

Another  sunlit  morn, 
Breaks  peacefully  upon  the  earth, 

By  war  all  gashed  and  torn ; 
With  day  the  strife  swells  up  anew, 

Again  the  cannon's  roar, 
Again  the  fierce  grey  tide  is  dashed 

On  adamantine  shore. 


The  devil  rides  astride  a  gun, 

A  Whitworth,  British  make,  sir, 
"I  never  had,"  cried  he,  "such  fun, 

My  sides  do  fairly  ache,  sir." 
He  cheers,  at  every  desperate  charge 

His  imps  the  music  swell ; 
And  far  above  the  cannonade 

Bolls  up  the  rebel  yell ! 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.  169 

They  charge,  and  grapple,  hand  to  hand, 

And  death  for  death  they  mete, 
Till  dead  men  thick  as  autumn  leaves 

Are  trampled  'neath  their  feet. 
In  vain  bold  Ewell  hounds  them  on, 

They  wrestle  all  in  vain, 
No  single  inch  disputed  ground 

The  rebel  columns  gain. 

Fresh  patriots  rally  to  the  strife 

And  enfilade  the  foe. 
They  hurl  them  back, — Hurra !  Hurra ! ! 

They  stagger  'neath  the  blow. 
Mash !  crash !  shell,  shrapnel,  shot,  and  grape 

Their  murderous  journey  speed, 
And  all  along  the  line  of  fire 

The  enemy  recede. 

Then  silence  on  the  field  of  death, 

If  silence  we  can  call 
The  horrid  lull,  war's  bated  breath, 

Whose  utterances  fall 
More  heavily  on  heart  and  brain 

Than  clang  of  clashing  steel, 
For  he's  unmanned  among  the  slain 

Who  has  the  time  to  feel. 

Three  heavy  hours  of  silence  dread — 

A  pall  upon  all  hearts — 
Meade  watches  ;  with  defeat,  Lee  stung 

To  desperation  starts 
In  one  last  struggle  of  despair ; 

His  guns  against  the  hill, 
One  hundred  strong  he  brings  to  bear, 

And  instantly  they  fill 
8 


170  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  air  "with  missiles, — as  a  storm 

Of  hail  from  summer  sky, 
So  unexpectedly  they  fall 

Upon  the  sward,  where  lie 
Meade's  wearied  officers,  and  death 

Springs  on  them  unawares — 
Right  on,  through  graves  and  living  men 

The  shot  relentless  tears. 

The  driving  storm  sweeps  bare  the  hill, 

It  does  n't  frighten  Meade  ; 
His  batteries,  with  deafening  roar, 

An  answering  challenge  speed. 
Said  General  Lee,  "  The  Yankee  fire 

It  seems  to  me  is  slack, 
Now  up,  my  men,  the  foe  doth  tire, 

He  11  yield  at  our  attack." 

On !  on !  they  rush — those  men  in  grey, 

In  bravery  and  folly, 
They  near  the  patriots'  rifle  pits, 

When,  flash!  a  dreadful  volley — 
They  falter,  close  their  ranks,  and  press 

Right  up  to  meet  their  doom ; 
They  sweep  swift  through  the  rifle  pits — 

But  hark !  the  deafening  boom 

Of  Meade's  great  guns  sounds  out  their  knell, 

And  crash !  a  storm  of  grape, 
And  that  intrepid  charge  of  grey 

Is  crushed  all  out  of  shape. 
The  wretched  men  swept  by  the  blast 

Are  blinded  and  confounded, 
They  turn,  and  so  does  Lee,  at  last, 

And  leaves  his  dead  and  wounded. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Meade  didn't  push  him  very  hard, 

And  Abe  had  grown  so  used,  sir, 
To  half  done  work  he  didn't  stop 

To  feel  himself  abused,  sir. 
"  It  might  have  been  so  much  the  worse, 

And  '  half  a  loaf,' "  said  he, 
"Will  stay  one's  hunger,  till  we  win 

A  lasting  victory." 

Lee  didn't  stop  till  he  was  safe 

On  sacred  soil  again  ; 
Said  he,  "  The  chivalry  may  chafe, 

One  thing  is  very  plain, 
I'll  never  more  the  North  invade 

As  I'm  a  precious  noodle  ; 
I  wish  to  goodness  I  had  stayed 

Away  from  Yankee  Doodle." 


CHAPTEE    XXVI. 

WHEN  Farragut  had  done  his  part, 

It  wa'n't  his  way  to  loiter  ; 
So  after  taking  New  Orleans 

He  sent  to  reconnoitre. 
Far  up  the  stream  Commander  Lee 

For  days  steamed  unmolested, 
Past  Baton  Rouge,  past  Natchez,  up 

The  unknown  way  he  tested. 

At  length  before  a  little  town, 
.His  squadron  boldly  came,1 
Where  rebels  had  their  guns  put  down, 

And  VICKSBUB<J  was  its  name. 
The  rebs  were  not  disposed  to  yield 

To  Yankee  Lee's  demand, 
So  back  to  New  Orleans  he  sent 

For  Farragut's  command. 

Then  up  steamed  Porter's  mortar  fleet, 

With  Farragut's  gun  boats, 
And  Foote  came  down  the  fleet  to  meet ; 

And  Uncle  Sam's  blue  coats1 
Began  to  dig  a  nice  canal 

Across  the  river's  bend. 

1  On  18th  May,  1862. 

a  Four  Regiments  under  General  F.  Williams. 
(172) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  173 

They  would  cut  off  the  saucy  fort 
And  put  a  speedy  end 

To  such  obstructions  of  their  route  ; 

But,  ah !  for  seventy  days,  sir, 
The  fleet  upon  the  stubborn  rebs 

Its  storm  of  iron  plays,  sir. 
Still  Vicksburg  stands, — at  length  comes  out 

A  ram  from  the  Tazoo, 
And  Farragut  and  Porter  leave, 

And  Foote, — he  steams  off,  too. 

The  grand  canal  had  brought  no  good, 

The  blue  coats  backward  wended 
Their  way, — and  Vicksburg  frowning  stood, 

Its  first  great  seige  well  ended. 
Said  Jeff,  "  The  Yanks  may  save  their  shot, 

And  Abe  may  keep  his  spite,  sir, 
For  Vicksburg  stands,  and  we  shall  hold 

The  Mississippi  tight,  sir." 

Now  Abraham  had  in  the  West 

A  man  of  open  eye, 
Who  looking  out  for  rebel  nest, 

Did  stronghold  Vicksburg  spy 
Three  hundred  miles  away.     Van  Dorn 

And  Price  stood  firm  between, 
And  swamps,  and  bayous,  and  forlorn 

Dull  streams  did  intervene. 

"  I  '11  force  the  rebels  from  the  road 
To  Vicksburg,"  said  grim  Grant ; 

"Then  on  their  ramparts, his  old  flag 
For  Uncle  Sam  I  '11  plant." 


174          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

He  sent  his  cavalry  around — 

They  never  did  work  harder ; 
They  cut  the  railroads ;  Pemberton 

Fell  back  upon  Grenada.1 

Grant  pushed  ahead  through  Holly  Springs, 

A  leap  of  fifty  miles,  sir ; 
But  Pemberton,  the  wily  reb, 

Looks  out  and  grimly  smiles,  sir. 
He  thinks  'twill  be  an  easy  task 

From  his  Grenada  station 
To  make  a  quick,  effective  dash 

At  Grant's  communication. 

But  Grant  has  thought  of  that  himself, 

And  also  what  he  '11  do ; 
He  Sherman  sends  to  make  a  base2 

By  way  of  the  Yazoo. 
They  '11  meet  at  Jackson,  and  then  strike 

At  Vicksburg  in  the  rear,  sir ; 
And  his  supplies  can  come  by  steam — 

The  plan  was  very  clear,  sir. 

But,  ah !  Van  Dorn,  he  made  a  swoop, 

Grant's  depot  of  supplies 
At  Holly  Springs  he  boldly  struck 3 

And  took  it  by  surprise. 
Grant  hurried  back,  and  Sherman  had 

A  dreadful  work  to  do 
That  drear  December,  when  he  lands 

At  Chickasaw  bayou. 


1  December  1, 1862. 

2  On  the  21st  December,  left  Helena  for  Vicksburg. 

3  On  the  20th  December,  1862,  Van  Dorn  captured  Eolly  Springs. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         175 

For  when  lie  disembarked  his  troops 

He  stood  right  face  to  face 
With  Pemberton  and  his  whole  force, 

"Who  occupied  the  place. 
Interminable  swamps  spread  out, 

And  fierce  abattas  frowned 
A  fort  to  right,  a  fort  to  left — 

He  looked  o'er  all  the  ground 

To  force  his  way ;  then  Sherman  felt 

He  never  would  be  able ; 
But  still  he  doesn't  like  to  yield 

To  the  inevitable. 
He  pushes  up  to  meet  his  fate ; 

The  rebs  their  fire  deliver ; 
And  Sherman,  horribly  repulsed,1 

Drops  down  the  Yazoo  river. 

He  meets  McClernand,  and  the  two 

To  Milliken's  go  back, 
Where  Grant  has  fixed  the  rendezvous 

To  make  a  new  attack. 
And  while  he  plans  a  new  campaign, 

McClernand  takes  the  war,  sir, 
Still  up  the  stream,  to  Hindman  Fort,2 

Upon  the  Arkansas,  sir. 

Now  Grant  sits  down  and  smokes  awhile 
With  inany  an  anxious  thought ; 

His  boys  for  many  a  weary  mile 
Had  worked,  and  all  for  nought. 

Said  he,  "  1 11  try  the  old  canal, 
And  Vicksburg  isolate,  sir." 

1  On  the  29th  December  Sherman  attacked  and  was  repulsed. 
3  Captured  June  11, 1883. 


176          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  volunteers  then  with  their  spades 
"Worked  early  and  worked  late,  sir. 

Week  after  week  they  toiled  away, 

Their  hearts  were  growing  light, 
"When  lo !  upon  the  eighth  of  May 

They  saw  a  dreadful  sight. 
The  river  rose,  their  dam  broke  through, 

And  woeful  to  relate, 
The  water  rushed  in  like  a  flood 

Their  camps  to  inundate. 

The  rebels  jeered,  Grant's  boys  hurrahed— 

(They  were  amphibious,  sir,) 
They  scrambled  out,  but  Jonathan 

He  scolded  at  the  muss,  sir. 
Said  Grant,  "  I  '11  open  up  a  route, 

My  transports  from  the  Bend, 
Down  by  the  bayou  Roundabout 

To  Carthage  I  shall  send." 

The  dredge-boats  cleared  a  passage  through, 

The  boys  they  got  up  steam  ; 
The  water  fell  and  put  an  end 

To  that  nice  little  scheme. 
Then  Grant  tried  many  other  ways, 

Lake  Providence  was  one,  sir, 
"Which  he  gave  up,  as  quite  too  hard, 

"When  it  was  scarce  begun,  sir.  * 

And  then  by  pass  and  by  bayous, 

Though  horribly  impeded, 
He  dug  and  wormed  a  channel  through, 

And  almost  had  succeeded ; 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          177 

When  all  at  once  his  trusty  scouts, 

Made  the  discovery,  sir, 
The  oilier  ends  were  fortified — 

Closed  by  the  enemy,  sir ! 

Then  Grant  smoked  harder  than  before  : 

Said  he,  "  The  thing  I  Ve  planned ; 
My  boats  shall  run  the  batteries, 

And  we '11  march  down  by  land" 
But  how  they  marched,  the  painful  task, 

I  've  no  heart  here  to  tell,  sir ; 
The  hardy  boys,  they  took  the  job, 

Of  course,  they  did  it  well,  sir. 

Nor  how  the  daring  volunteers 

Got  all  the  transports  ready, 
And  ran  them  by  the  batteries1 

So  cool,  sir,  and  so  steady, 
Beneath  the  storm  of  fire  that  made 

The  gazer  hold  his  breath 
And  watch,  as  when  a  friend  goes  down 

Upon  the  stream  of  death. 

At  length  they  halt — "Hard  Times"  'twas  called, 

Grand  Gulf  was  just  across, 
And  Porter  shells2  while  Grant  decides 

He  will  not  risk  the  loss 
Of  storming  up  the  beetling  bluff. 

The  rebels  grow  quite  merry, 
As  he  moves  off — until  he  makes 

At  Bruinsburg  a  ferry.3 


1  April  16, 1863,  and  April  2s. 

2  On  29th  of  April,  a  fleet  attacked  Grand  Gulf. 

3  April  30th. 

8* 


178          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  while  he  crossed — a  little  feint 

By  Sherman's  wise  direction, 
Was  carried  out  at  Haynes'  Bluff 

For  Pemberton's  inspection. 
With  transports,  iron-clads  and  boats, 

Up  the  Yazoo  he  lay, 
At  evening  disembarked,  as  if 

He  came  this  time  to  stay. 

The  rebels  gathered  for  a  fight, 

Their  strength  began  to  vaunt,  sir, 
But  Sherman  starts  late  in  the  night, 

And  steams  away  to  Grant,  sir. 
Meanwhile  McClernand  gains  the  height, 

With  Logan  strikes  a  blow, 
That  takes  Port  Gibson  from  the  rebs,' 

And  does  quite  plainly  show 

To  Pemberton— "  The  bull-dog's  "  teeth, 

He  feels  the  grinders  craunch,  sir, 
He  squirms  away,  and  General  Grant 

At  Grand  Gulf  takes  his  lunch,  sir  ; 
And  Pemberton,  who  wants  more  men, 

Sends  off  to  General  Jo, 
Who  gives  this  very  good  advice — 

"Unite,  and  beat,  the  foe" 

Jeff  Davis  said,  the  while  he  smiled, 
"  Vicksburg  could  not  be  shaken, 

That  Grant,  old  Jonathan  beguiled, 
It  never  would  be  taken." 

Some  weak-kneed  rebs  began  to  wince 
And  breathe  a  little  hard, 

»  Battle  of  Port  Gibson,  May  1, 18C3. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         179 

And  said,  Jeff  should  the  Yanks  convince 
By  sending  Beauregard. 

Grant  paused  a  moment,  should  he  go, 

Thought  he,  to  General  Banks, 
And  take  Port  Hudson,  Bank's  troops 

Would  reinforce  his  ranks. 
The  Mississippi  governor  howled, 

And  wrote  a  proclamation, 
Which  like  a  blister  on  the  rebs, 

Drew  out  an  inflammation. 

Said  Grant,  "  I  can't  afford  to  wail, 

The  case  is  very  clear, 
I  must  make  haste  and  operate 

On  Vicksburg  in  the  rear." 
He  draws  his  plans.     His  corps  go  out, 

McPherson  finds  the  foe,  sir, 
At  Raymond1 — makes  him  face  about, 

Which  so  distresses  Jo,  sir. 

He  sallies  out  from  Jackson — h^ 

Will  meet  Grant's  bold  advance, 
His  military  eye  takes  in 

V  V 

McPherson  at  a  glance ; 
He  squints  at  Sherman,  who  sends  out 

To  spy  the  ground  in  front,  sir ; 
Then  pushes  up — Jo  doesn't  wait 

To  bear  the  battle's  brunt,  sir. 

He  takes  a  northward  flight,  nor  stops 

Till  some  time  after  dark, 
Then  Grant  he  faces  to  the  rear, 

With  Vicksburg  for  his  mark ; 

1  Battle  of  Raymond,  May  12, 18C3.    2  May  14th,  Battle  of  Jackson. 


180  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

He  leaves  a  squad  to  burn  reb  mills, 
And  off  in  haste  doth  start,  sir, 

He 's  bound  to  keep  the  cunning  Jo 
And  Pemberton  apart,  sir. 

Jo  writes  to  Pemberton,  "  To  fight, 

Grant  must  not  concentrate ; 
His  bold  detachment  must  be  met 

Before  it  is  too  late." 
But,  Pemberton  was  short  of  sight, 

To  Vicksburg  he  was  tied, 
He  dare  n't  uncover  that  to  fight — 

A  better  plan,  he  tried. 

He  moved  with  seventeen  thousand  men, 

Southeast  from  Edward's  station, 
To  make  a  quick  decisive  stroke 

At  Grant's  communication. 
Now,  Grant  in  pressing  Vicksburg-ward, 

Meets  Pemberton  en-route. 
(It 's  in  this  very  sort  of  scrape 

He  likes  to  put  his  foot) 

Now,  Pemberton  caught  in  the  act, 

Looks  foolish,  thinks  of  Jo, 
And  counter-marches,  and,  in  fact, 

Grant  being  rather  slow 
In  crossing  rebel  tracks,  he  fights, 

But  half  against  his  will — 
And  strikes  a  feeble  sort  of  blow, 

And  fails  at  Champion's  Hill.1 

He  formed  his  line  of  battle  well, 
He  turned  the  first  attack 

»  May  16, 1368. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         181 

That  Hovey  made,  but  Logan,  he 

Was  reconnoitering  back; 
He  worked  upon  the  rebel  flank, 

Indeed  got  on  his  rear,  sir. 
Said  he  to  Grant,  "You  dash  in  front 

And  /will  finish  here,  sir." 

Poor  Pemberton,  he  sees  at  last, 

At  last  begins  to  yield ; 
Pressed  front  and  rear,  the  die  is  cast, 

And  from  the  fatal  field 
His  troops  pursued,  one  part  to  Jo, 

The  other  with  himself,  sir ; 
Dash  towards  Vicksburg,  and  are  laid 

Ere  long  upon  a  shelf,  sir. 

At  Big  Black  Eiver,1  Pemberton 

Essayed  to  make  a  stand, 
But  terror  seized  his  troops,  they  ran 

A  panic-stricken  band ; 
They  never  stopped,  they  ran  ah1  day, 

It  was  a  Bull  Run  sight,  sir, 
When  they  swarmed  into  Vicksburg  town, 

At  ten  o'clock  that  night,  sir. 

"  Get  out  of  Vicksburg,"  Johnston  said, 

When  Pemberton  fell  back, 
"  Give  up  the  place,  and  keep  the  men." 

While  Pemberton  did  rack 
His  brains  to  hit  a  better  plan, 

He  got  a  dreadful  shock,  sir ; 
Outside,  from  Grant,  that  fearful  man, 

There  came  an  awful  knock,  sir. 

From  bank  to  bank  in  splendid  style, 
Grant's  gallant  boys  deployed, 

1  May  17,  1S6a 


182  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  Vicksburg  doomed,  cursed  Pemberton, 
Who  had  its  hopes  destroyed. 

Shut  up  at  last,  with  all  his  boasts, 
And  thirty  days  of  ration ; 

Outside,  in  tireless,  countless  hosts, 
The  hated  Yankee  nation ! 


Bold  Porter,  on  the  river  hears, 

A  noise  like  Yankee  guns, 
He  gets  up  steam,  across  he  steers, 

And  up  the  Yazoo  runs, 
His  gallant  tars  haul  up  the  flag, 

With  shouts  of  approbation, 
On  Haynes'  Bluff,  and  so  give  Grant 

A  new  communication. 

Says  Grant,  "  If  rebel  Jo  comes  up, 

Our  task  will  then  be  double ; 
I  think  if  we  can  strike  at  once, 

'Twill  save  us  lots  of  trouble." 
He  makes  assault,1  he  gains  not  much, 

He  tries  another  day,2  sir. 
A  fearful  blow,  his  loss  is  such, 

He  tries  another  way,  sir. 

He  uses  spades,  sits  down  and  waits, 

According  to  reports, 
The  rebs,  ere  long,  will  find  he  has 

An  ally  in  their  forts  ; 
For  hunger  stalks  through  Vicksburg  town ; 

In  vain  Jo  sends  a  scout 
To  cheer  the  garrison,  and  bid 

Poor  Pemberton  "  hold  out." 

"May  19, 1863.  *May22d. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          183 

Grant  mines — the  rebels  countermine, 

I  cannot  tell  the  story, 
Nor  when  such  dread  explosions  come, 

Do  I  see  any  glory. 
Grant  plans  a  last  and  grand  assault, 

But  Pemberton  has  eaten 
His  last  starved  "  cow,  hog,  horse,  and  dog," 

And  feels  that  he  is  beaten. 

A  flag  of  truce  droops  in  the  sun, 

Then  short  negotiation, 
And  thus  was  stronghold  Vicksburg  won  ; 

The  hateful  Yankee  nation, 
Paroled  the  rebels  ;  who  11  deny 

Grant  has  a  right  to  brag,  sir, 
When  on  that  scorching  fourth  July, 

He  hoists  the  Union  Flag,  sir. 

The  shout  that  rose  that  afternoon 

From  his  devoted  band,  sir, 
Was  caught  at  Gettysburg,  and  rolled 

O'er  all  this  mighty  land,  sir ; 
From  California  through  the  West, 

To  Maine  so  bleak  and  sandy, 
The  cheer  resounded  from  the  breast 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

In  five  days  more,  Port  Hudson  fell, 

And  then  down  to  the  strand, 
The  Mississippi,  wrested  from 

The  grasp  of  traitor  hand, 
And  groaning  in  its  liberty, 

Its  troubled  waters  sped, 
And  carried  to  the  moaning  sea 

The  blood  of  heroes  dead. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

WHEN  Lee  went  back  and  told  King  Jeff 

The  upshot  of  his  battle, 
And  how  his  gallant  chivalry 

Had  run  from  "  Northern  cattle  ;" 
King  Jeff  was  seized  with  ague  chills, 

And  sent  across  the  park, 
For  Mr.  Seddon,1  who  gave  him 

A  dreadful  dose  of  bark. 

Said  he,  "I  told  you  so,  you  've  done 

Some  very  foolish  things,  sir, 
You  've  strengthened  fainting  Jonathan, 

And  then  you  Ve  clipped  the  wings,  sir, 
Of  our  peace  friends,  and  all  for  what? 

To  please  a  fretful  rabble." 
Said  Jeff,  "  I  swear,  I  ne'er  again 

Will  listen  to  their  babble." 

"  But  Seddon,- — Lee  once  reinforced  " — 

"  With  what,  I  'd  like  to  know,  sir," 
Growled  Seddon,  "  if  the  men  we  've  sowed 

Should  take  a  start  and  grow,  sir, 
It  might  de  done, — if  you  can 't  raise 

The  soldiers  from  their  graves, 
Why,  in  the  name  of  common  sense, 

Why  don't  you  arm  the  slaves?" 

1  Rebel  Secretary  of  War. 

(184) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          185 

Said  Jeff,  "  You  know  as  well  as  I, 

Thai  is  with  danger  fraught,  sir, 
In  fact,  ahem! — unsafe  to  try, 

You  see  Sambo  has  fought,  sir, 
On  t  'other  side,1  and  got  a  taste 

Of  Abraham's  liberty,  sir, 
We  dare  not  put  him  in  the  field, 

Beside  the  chivalrie,  sir. 

"  I  own,  I  apprehend  no  end 

Of  evils  and  disaster, 
The  phantom,  sir,  of  Sambo  armed 

Against  his  lord  and  master, 
Pursues  me  even  in  my  dreams." 

"The  accursed  Yankee  nation," 
Said  Seddon,  "  must  be  balked  in  this, 

We  '11  try  retaliation." 

"We  '11  take  no  negro  prisoners, 

We  '11  shoot  them  on  the  spot,  sir." 
"And  then,"  said  Jeff,  "our property 

Oh,  Seddon,  you'll  have  shot,  sir." 
Brave  Seddon  scratched  his  witless  head, 

Said  he,  "  These  Yankee  curs,  sir, 
Will  send  white  men  to  lead  the  blacks, 

We  '11  shoot  the  officers,  sir." 

"  I  have  an  idea  now,"  said  Jeff, 
"  There 's  Stephens,  he 's  a  fool,  sir, 

Not  spunk  enough  to  kill  a  fly 
But  useful  as  a  tool,  sir ; 

He  has  a  reputation  North, 
As  quasi-Union  man, 

1  The  2d  Louisiana  Regiment,  (Colored,)  at  Port  Hudson,  on  the  27th 
of  May,  1863,  lost  600  out  of  900  men. 


186          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

If  he  could  only  get  at  Abe, 
The  two  might  make  a  plan. 

"  (Old  Abe  is  soft  about  the  heart,) 

To  mitigate  the  wo, 
The  horrors  of  this  dreadful  war, 

(Abe's  pitiful)  and  so, 
If  Stephens  choose  he  might  depict 

A  servile  insurrection, 
And  plead  humanity,  and  gain 

His  point  without  detection." 

Jeff  sent  for  Stephens  and  he  came  ; 

At  once  advised  a  peace, 
Said  he,  "  King  Jeff,  the  more  we  wait, 

The  more  our  ills  increase ; 
We  're  whipped,  that  is  the  solemn  fact> 

We  wouldn't  like  to  show  it, 
We  needn't,  if  we  've  any  tact — 

Let  Abraham,  sir,  know  it." 

"  Well,  Stephens,  I  can 't  make  a  move 

In  any  such  direction, 
I  've  done  my  best,  and  owe  defeat 

To  unforeseen  defection  ; 
Our  friends  were  going  to  rise  with  Lee, 

The  plan  has  got  a  balk,  sir, 
There's  no  dependence — zounds !  I  wish 

The  Devil  had  New  York,  sir." 

Just  here,  a  fellow  long  and  lean, 

Put  in  a  shaven  head  ; 
"  I  want,  King  Jeff,  a  week  or  two 

Of  absence  now,"  it  said. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          187 

"Who 's  that ?"  said  Stephens.  "  Oh,  a  scout, 

A  secret  service  man,  sir, 
A  trusty  fellow,  always  out 

A-working  up  some  plan,  sir." 

"  Well,  Jeff,  I  '11  try,  I  Tl  go  with  Quid, 

And  with  a  flag  of  truce, 
Steam  up,  and  have  a  talk  with  Abe  ; 

It  might  be  of  some  use, 
To  hint  Napoleon's  latest  views 

Upon  the  situation, 
That  France  and  England  might  unite, 

And  make  an  arbitration." 

So  Ould  and  Stephens  took  a  boat, 

And  steamed  to  Fort  Munroe, 
Thence  sent  to  Abraham  a  note ' 

That  they  would  like  to  go, 
"  A  little  farther,  if  he  pleased ; " 

Quoth  Abram,  waxing  hot,  sir, 
"  They  want  to  talk  with  me,  a-hem — 

Well,  I  should  rather  not,  sir." 

So  round  about  the  truce-boat  turned, 

And  headed  for  the  South, 
And  Stephens  back  to  Dixie  steamed, 

His  finger  in  his  mouth, 
They  called  a  council,  Jeff  and  he, 

And  had  a  long  debate, 
Discussing  how  to  keep  concealed 

The  secrets  of  the  State. 

All  out  of  blankets,  out  of  shoes, 
*  And  short  of  corn  and  bacon ; 

1  July  4, 1863. 


188  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Their  rights  of  course,  they  would  n't  lose, 
Their  courage  was  n't  shaken ; 

But  then  their  wives  and  families — 
Ah  !  here  was  no  illusion, 

The  fact  so  patent  to  them  all 
"Was  dreadful  destitution. 

Jeff  Davis  groaned ;  at  last  he  said, 

"  Our  families  can  go,  sir, 
Across  the  lines,  Old  Abraham 

Will  treat  them  well,  I  know,  sir." 
(Now  this  reminds  me  of  a  fact, 

Pray  pardon  the  digression, 
It  happened  just  about  the  time 

John  Bull  winked  at  secession. 

A  letter  came  to  Abe  one  day, 

'Twas  dated  Manchester, 
It  seems  Abe's  proclamation  had 

Abroad,  made  quite  a  stir ; 
This  letter  from  "  the  suffering  poor  " 

Of  sympathy  for  him, 
Did  Abram  read,  but  I  am  sure, 

His  spectacles  were  dim. 

He  took  them  off  and  rubbed  them  clean 

And  winked  and  rubbed  his  eyes, 
And  winked  again.     Here  Jonathan 

Takes  Abram  by  surprise ; 
He  walks  right  in,  and  sees  Old  Abe 

A-sitting  in  his  chair ; 
The  letter  open  in  his  hand, 

All  blotted  here  and  there. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          189 

"  Now,  Jonathan,"  said  Abe,  "  look  here ! 

Here  comes  the  gasping  breath 
Of  want,  to  speak  good  words  of  cheer 

To  us.    Why,  man,  'tis  death 
That  in  their  wretched  faces  stares, 

And  this  the  word  they  send,  sir, 
That  though  tJieir  death  be  in  our  war, 

To  fight  it  to  the  end,  sir." 

Said  Jonathan,  "  I  have  enough, 

And  something  yet  to  spare,  sir, 
If  Johnny  Bull  won't  take  a  huff, 

I'll  send  a  cargo  there,  sir." 
So  Jonathan  the  Griswold  sent l 

All  full  of  yellow  corn,  sir ; 
The  pirate  rebs  on  mischief  bent, 

As  sure  as  you  are  born,  sir, 

To  capture  her  a  ship  dispatch, 

The  Griswold  made  the  slip 
As  she  went  out,  but  pirates  catch 

Her  on  the  homeward  trip. 
While  Jonathan,  whose  hand  is  in, 

Sends  off  a  lot  of  beans 
And  pork,  to  feed  the  starving  rebs 

Way  down  in  New  Orleans.) 

Quoth  Stephens,  who  in  great  degree 

Possessed  that  virtue  rare, 
That  Southern  trait,  consistency — 

"  Now  Jeff,  I  wouldn't  care. 
Although  our  hopes  are  quite  forlorn, 

Our  plans  all  out  of  joint, 

1  The  Griswold  left  New  York  January  9, 1863. 


190          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

To  have  it  known  we  counted  on 
Old  Abraham's  weak  point." 

Said  Memminger,  "  Gold 's  out  of  sight,1 

It  is  n't  safe  to  wait, 
We  'd  better  put  in  foreign  stocks 

Our  personal  estate." 
"  That 's  very  true,"  responded  Jeff, 

"  If  there 's  to  be  a  smash,  sirs, 
'T  won't  better  things  for  us  to  be 

Included  in  the  crash,  sirs." 

An  orderly,  with  terror  pale, 

Came  in  here  with  the  news 
Of  Vicksburg  ; — 'twas  a  startling  tale, 

Jeff  did  his  temper  lose ; 
He  raved  at  Pemberton  and  Jo, 

And  in  a  piteous  state, 
He  ground  his  teeth  in  helpless  wo, 

And  cursed  his  dreadful  fata 

In  vain  his  Cabinet  declared 

They  had  not  been  deluded, 
That  this  must  come  to  pass,  in  fact, 

They  had  long  since  concluded, 
And  it  was  better  as  it  was, 

Their  lines  were  quite  too  long ; 
And  in  proportion  as  they  shrank, 

Their  government  was  strong. 

Jeff  could  not  be  consoled,  not  he — 

Why  should  he  toil  and  toil 
When  any  stupid  General 

His  wisest  plans  could  spoil  ? 

1  Gold  in  Richmond  1,600.         Greenbacks  1,200,  in  August,  1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         191 

"What  would  come  next,  no  one  could  tell, 

He  'd  half  a  mind  to  pitch,  sir, 
The  South,  and  North,  at  once,  pell  mell, 

Into  the  last  great  ditch,  sir. 

Just  here  in  rushed  a  General — 

'Twas  "Winder  (Provost  Marshal) ; 
Said  he,  "  Good  news !  we  are  in  luck ! 

As  I  'm  a  judge  impartial ! 
New  York  has  risen !  from  the  Park 

To  Trinity's  famed  steeple, 
One  great,  resistless,  desperate,  armed 

'  Procession  of  the  people.'1 

"  The  negro  and  Vallandigham, 

The  Habeas  Corpus  Act,  sir, 
The  draft — whate'er  the  cause  may  be, 

It  is  a  patent  fact,  sir, 
The  mob  at  last  has  grasped  the  reins, 

Our  peace  friends  didn't  talk,  sir, 
In  vain ;  they  've  raised  against  Old  Abe 

The  Devil  in  New  York,  sir. 

"  I  've  brought  some  papers  for  a  treat, 

A  News  is  in  the  lot ;" 
The  rebels  gathered  round  the  sheet 

And  aid  and  comfort  got.2 
Jeff  stiffened  up ;  said  he,  "  The  news 

Gives  solid  satisfaction ; 


1  Draft  riot  in  New  York  commenced  12th  July,  18G3. 

a  "All  the  embarrassments  with  which  that  party  [peace  party] 
can  surround  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  all  the  difficulties  that  it  can  throw  in 
the  way  of  the  war  party  in  the  North,  operate  directly  as  BO  much 
aid  and  comfort  to  the  South."— Letter  of  M.  F.  Maury,  dated  August 
17, 1863,  to  the  London  "  Times." 


192  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

It 's  worth  the  forty  thousand  men 
Lee  lost  in  his  late  action." 

King  Jeff  dismissed  his  Cabinet, 

Each  took  a  glass  of  brandy, 
And  vowed  they  never  would  submit 

To  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
Then  Jeff  sat  down  and  wrote  a  speech ;! 

Recovered  from  alarm,  he 
Applied  his  renovated  spunk 

To  stiffen  up  his  army. 

He  told  his  soldiers  that  the  foe 

By  partial  victory  lured 
Were  massing  troops,  and  so  they  hoped 

Success  might  be  insured. 
"  You  know  too  well,"  said  Jefferson, 

"  What  they  mean  by  success — 
Exterminate  yourselves,  your  wives, 

Your  children — nothing  less. 

"  What  they  can't  plunder,  to  destroy 

In  infamous  debauch,  sirs ; 
To  carry  ruin  to  your  fields 

And  to  your  homes  a  torch,  sirs. 
Soldiers !  with  triumph  in  your  reach, 

Save  the  Confederation  1 
There 's  only  one  alternative, 

Victory  or  subjugation." 

Jeff  signed  the  paper,  (so,  indeed, 
Did  Benjamin,  the  Jew,  sir,) 


»  See  Mr.  Davis'  "Address  to  the  Soldiers  of  the  Confederate 
States,"  dated  August  1, 1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  193 

Then  set  him  down  in  peace  to  read 

Of  deeds  Quantrell  did  do,  sir, 
In  Kansas,1  such  nice  genteel  play 

Suited  to  chivalry,  sir ; 
And  quite  unlike,  Jeff  well  may  say, 

To  Yankee  deviltry,  sir. 

1  Quantrell's  raid  in  Lawrence,  Ks.,  21st  August,  1863. 


CHAPTEE   XXVIII. 

"  OH,  Jonathan,"  said  Betsey  Jane, 

"  When  will  this  fighting  cease  ? 
Is  there  no  way  to  bring  again 

The  blessed  days  of  peace  ?" 
"  Yon,  too,  are  tired,  Betsey  Jane, 

Of  battling  for  the  right," 
Said  Jonathan.    "  It  seems  so  vain," 

Said  Betsey,  "  in  our  sight ; 

"  With  raiding  here,  and  skirmish  there, 

And  fights  upon  the  seas ; 
Death  all  abroad,  strife  everywhere, 

'Till  e'en  the  gentlest  breeze 
Comes  laden  with  a  wailing  cry — 

Our  eyes  are  dim  with  weeping ; 
Each  waking  breath  is  but  a  sigh, 

We  sob  while  we  are  sleeping. 

"  And. when  you  wake,  you  miss  the  boys.' 

Said  Jonathan,  "  I  know  it ; 
And  sometimes  when  the  grief  wells  up, 

/  cannot  help  but  show  it. 
But  Betsey  Jane,  this  much  is  plain, 

Our  day's  work  we  must  do ; 
And  when  we  think  upon  the  end, 

What  is  a  life  or  two  ?" 

(194) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  195 

Cried  Betsey  Jane,  "  There  must  be  news, 

Look  at  the  garden  gate ! 
The  neighbors  beckon !  now  they  call ! 

Oh,  Jonathan,  don't  wait. 
'  Hurrah !  hurrah !'  the  town  is  out, 

And  now  the  bells  are  ringing. 
Oh,  Jonathan,  hear  how  they  shout, 

And  there 's  the  children  singing." 

Said  Jonathan,  "  It  is  the  fourth  !l 

The  schools  are  out  a-playing. 
A  battle,  eh !  oh,  Betsey  Jane, 

What  is  it  you  are  saying  ?" 
"A  victory  at  Gettysburg! 

And  Vicksburg,  too,  is  taken ! 
Hark !  how  the  guns  at  Bunker  Hill, 

The  answering  echoes  waken." 

Cried  Jonathan,  "  Its  come  at  last, 

Send  up  into  the  garret ; 
But  first  lay  out  my  Sunday  coat, 

To-day  I  mean  to  wear  it. 
Bring  down  the  old  flint  locks  once  more, 

They  always  spoke  so  true ; 
I  want  to  hear  their  voice  to-day — 

The  fire-works,  bring  them,  too." 

Then  Jonathan  he  nailed  his  flag 

Beside  his  weather-cock ; 
Of  Chinese  crackers  to  the  boys 

He  gave  a  double  stock. 
Then  rolled  his  cider  barrels  out, 

And  left  them  lying  handy  ; 

'  4th  July,  1863. 


196          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  all  the  live-long  day  the  band 
Played  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

When  Betsey  Jane  that  evening  train 

For  Gettysburg  departed ; 
Said  Jonathan,  "  I  wonder  if 

Old  Abe  is  chipper  hearted. 
I  guess  1 11  go  to  Washington, 

He  may  have  need  of  me,  sir ; 
Perhaps  his  money  is  all  gone, 

'Twill  do  no  harm  to  see,  sir." 

He  finds  Abe  sitting  all  alone, 

A  thinking  out  a  plan,  sir, 
To  make  the  rebels  Sambo  treat 

Like  any  other  man,  sir. 
"  Now,  Jonathan,"  says  he,  "  you  've  come 

Just  in  the  nick  of  time,  sir." 
"What  is  the  matter  Abraham?" 

Says  Abe,  "  It  is  the  crime  sir, 

"  Of  putting  Sambo  in  the  field 

To  fight  for  our  salvation ; 
Unless  we  can  protection  yield 

By  stern  retaliation." 
"  That  must  be  done,"  said  Jonathan, 

"  The  rebs  the  way  have  paved,  sir : 
For  every  captured  soldier,  Abe, 

By  Jeff's  decree  enslaved,  sir, 

"  You  must  at  hardest  labor  put 

One  of  the  chivalry,  sir, 
And  keep  him  there,  whate'er  befalls, 

Till  Sambo  is  set  free,  sir." 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.        .  197 

"  That 's  not  the  worst,"  says  Abe,  "  I  know 

Port  Hudson,  't  other  day,  sir, 
Poor  Sambo  did  such  valor  show, 

That,  as  the  rebels  say,  sir, 

"He  got  no  quarter  in  the  fight 

So  desperate  and  hot, 
If  Sambo  wounded  fell,  the  rebs 

Dispatched  him  on  the  spot." 
Says  Jonathan,  "If prisoners 

Or  white,  or  black,  they  Ml,  sir, 
Why,  we  can  then  retaliate, 

By — Uncle  Sam — we  vM,  sir.  * 

"  'Twill  work  out  right,  sir,  in  the  end 

The  rebs  learn  by  degrees  ; 
Be  steady,  Abe,  till  Jefferson 

His  wicked  folly  sees. 
Its  hard  to  manage  desperate  rebs, 

The  copperheads  are  worse, 
What's  to  be  done  to  rid  the  earth 

Of  this  increasing  curse  ?" 

"  I  can't  tell,  Jonathan,"  said  Abe, 

For  every  thing  I  've  tried,  sir, 
I  do  my  best,  with  all  I  do 

They  are  dissatisfied,  sir ; 
They  cry  for  peace — hound  me,  as  if 

For  war  /was  to  blame,  sir ; 
I  tell  them  peace  is  what  /want, 

They  grumble  all  the  same,  sir. 

"  They  don't  like  my  way  Jonathan 
Of  getting  at  a  peace ; 

i  See  President  Lincoln's  Order,  No.  252,  July  30, 1863. 


198          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

They  talk  about  a  compromise ; 

Perhaps  the  war  would  cease 
If  I  should  send  for  Jefferson, 

And  very  humbly  say,  sir, 
'  Now,  Jeff,  do  stop — we  're  fairly  whipped, 

Take  everything  your  way,  sir.' " 

Here  Jonathan  stood  up  enraged — 

(I  am  afraid  he  swore,  sir,) 
He  struck  the  table  with  his  fist, 

He  knocked  Abe's  inkstand  o'er,  sir. 
"Sit  down,"  says  Abe,  "the  Union,  sir, 

Is  not  their  point  we  know ; 
These  disaffected  would  swap  that 

To  keep  enslaved  the  negro. 

"  And  here  again  we  disagree — 

That  is  the  tender  spot, — 
I  'd  like  to  have  all  men  go  free, 

The  copperheads  would  not. 
When  I  suggested  buying  slaves, 

Their  scowl  did  not  relax,  sir ; 
'  Buy  niggers !'  was  the  hue  and  cry, 

They  wouldn't  pay  the  tax,  sir. 

"They  hate  my  order  Number  One, 

They  say  I  've  wrongly  acted ; 
It  is  n't  constitutional,1 

They  want  it  all  retracted. 
I  don't  agree !  I  have  the  right, 

By  military  law,  sir, 
The  property  of  enemies 

To  seize  in  time  of  war,  sir. 

1  See  President's  letter  to  Illinois  Convention,  August  26, 1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          199 

"  The  proclamation  valid  is, 

Or  valid  it  is  not,  sir ; 
If  valid  it  must  stand,  for  death 

Cannot  to  hie  be  brought,  sir. 
They  will  not  fight  to  free  the  slave — 

Well,  Sambo,  sir,  is  willing 
To  fight  for  tliem,  for  us  and  .ours 

His  blood  he 's  freely  spilling.1 

"And  shall  he  do  for  us,  and  we 

Do  nought  for  him,  except,  sir, 
Make  specious  promise.     No,  oh,  no! 

My  promise  must  be  kept,  sir." 
"  It  shall  be  kept,"  said  Jonathan, 

"  Cheer  up,  now,  Abe,  my  man ; 
Look  how  much  God  for  truth  hath  wrought 

Since  first  the  strife  began. 

"  The  river  Mississippi  goes 

Unvexed  now  to  the  sea." 
Said  Abraham,  "  To  the  North-west 

Our  grateful  thanks  must  be  ; 
Nor  wholly  yet  to  them  they  met, 

As  up  their  way  they  cleft,  sir ;   ^ 
New  England  and  the  Middle  States 

Down  hewing  right  and  left,  sir. 

"Nor  is  that  all,  'tis  hard  to  say 

Aught  has  been  better  done, 
Than  at  Anteitam,  Gettysburg, 

And  Murfreesboro  won. 
Then,  too,  for  '  Uncle  Sam's  web-feet,'2 

Our  praise  must  not  be  slack ; 

1  "  There  have  heen  men  base  enough  to  propose  to  me  to  return  to 
slavery  the  hlack  warriors  of  Port  Hudson  and  Olustee,  and  thus  win 
the  respect  of  the  masters  they  fought." — Mr.  Lincoln  to  Governor 
Randall.  *  The  Navy. 


200          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Wherever,  sir,  the  ground  was  damp, 
They  've  been  and  left  their  track 

"Peace  doesn't  seem  so  distant  now, 

'Twill  come,  I  hope,  to  stay,  sir ; 
There  11  be  some  black  men  who  can  well 

Kemember  on  that  day,  sir, 
With  silent  tongue,  and  steady  eye, 

And  brave  determination ; 
With  well  poised  bayonets  they  helped 

To  bring  this  consummation. 

"  And  there  11  be  some  white  men,  I  fear, 

Unable  to  forget 
That  with  malignant  heart  and  speech 

They've  striven  to  upset1 
God's  plans."    Said  Jonathan, 

"  We  must  apply  the  means,  sir ; 
We  've  got  this  treason  to  sweep  out, 

And  we  will  sweep  it  clean,  sir. 

"It's  got  into  the  corners,  Abe ; 

It 's  hid  behind  the  doors ; 
It 's  spread  across  the  briny  pond, 

To  European  shores." 
"  Ah !  that  reminds  me,  Jonathan, 

There  is  some  recent  news ; 
You  haven't  heard  it?   Well,"  said  Abe, 

"  It 's  much  too  good  to  lose. 

"  Quite  lately  rumors  had  been  brought 

To  gentle  Seward's  ear, 
That  Johnny  Bull,  in  truth,  was  not 

As  tamed  as  would  appear ; 

See  Pros.  Lincoln's  letter  to  the  Hon.  Jas.  Conkling,  Aug.  16, 1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          201 

That  rebel  rams  were  being  built 
Right  under  Johnny's  nose,  sir ; 

So  Seward  pokes  up  Mr.  Bull, 
And  pristine  valor  shows,  sir. 

"  Says  he,  '  You  're  building  rebel  rams !' 

Growled  Bull,  *  Your  no  diviner ; 
These  little  rams,  I  hear,  are  for 

The  Emperor  of  China.' 
Said  Seward,  '  "Will  you  stop  these  rams  ?' 

'  That  is  no  easy  task,  sir,' 
Said  John ;  '  perhaps  it  can't  be  done, 

I  will  my  lawyer  ask,  sir.' 

"  Now  Seward  had  just  then  in  mind 

The  pirate  Alabama ; 
And  her  career  was  fitted  ill 

To  make  his  temper  calmer. 
Said  he,  *  These  rams  must  be  detained, 

Whatever  be  the  law,  sir ; 
If  not,  your  Bullship  may  prepare, 

I  take  it — this  is  war,  sir.' 

"  At  this  Bull  held  his  head  quite  stiff, 

He  was  but  illy  pleased ; 
But  Adams  wrote,  that  very  night, 

The  rebel  rams  were  seized.1 
And  Johnny  looked  about  to  find 

Some  other  way  more  handy, 
From  off  the  sea  to  drive  the  ships 

Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 


1  Two  iron-plated  rams,  built  on  the  Mersey,  England,  by  the 
Messrs.  Laird,  for  the  use  of  the  rebels,  were  seized  by  order  of  the 
British  Government  upon  a  charge  of  an  intention  to  evade  the 
neutrality  laws,  October  9, 1863. 


CHAPTEE   XXIX. 

"  Now  Abe,"  said  Jonathan,  "  the  cries 

From  Eastern  Tennessee 
King  in  my  ears ;  you  must  devise 

A  way  that  land  to  free. 
Lee 's  whipped  so  badly,  he  must  wait 

Till  reinforcements  come,  sir ; 
I  wish  to  goodness  Grant  had  brought 

His  Vicksburg  prisoners  home,  sir. 

"  They  11  all  be  up  in  one  short  week 

To  join  Lee  on  the  border, 
He  '11  have  them  properly  exchanged 

"With  skeletons  to  order !" l 
Here  Jonathan  stamped  angrily, 

And  Abram  seemed  to  chafe,  sir ; 
As  if  the  thing,  right  in  his  mind, 

To  speak  out — was  n't  safe,  sir. 

At  last,  he  said,  "  Well,  Jonathan, 

The  fighting  will  not  stop, 
Now  Rosecrans  in  Tennessee 

Has  gathered  in  his  crop 
And  started,  pressing  Bragg  along 

Till  he  has  made  a  halt 

1  The  Vicksbnrg  prisoners  were  declared  exchanged,  and  imme 
diately  put  into  the  field  by  the  rebels. 
('202) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  2.03 

At  Chattanooga.     They  will  meet, 
Or  't  won't  be  Rosey's  fault. 

"  And  Burnside  's  well  upon  his  way, 

At  Knoxville,  Buckaer  waits  ; 
The  war  will  have  a  wicked  sway, 

Within  the  Border  States." 
Said  Jonathan,  "  We  11  fight  it  through, 

Press  hard  now,  Abe,  don't  falter ; 
By  all  our  dead  boys,  brave  and  true, 

King  Jeff  must  wear  his  halter." 

So  Burnside  o'er  the  mountains  rode, 

Full  thirty  miles  a  day,  sir ; 
Growled  Buckner,  "  I  've  surrendered  once, 

I  think  I  '11  run  away,  sir." 
Then  all  the  people  cheered  in  glee,1 

Tore  down  the  rebel  rags, 
And  hoisted  right  triumphantly 

Their  hidden  Union  flags. 

And  on  brave  Rosey's  soldiers  went, 

The  rebels  made  no  show 
At  Chattanooga2 —  what  that  meant, 

Old  Rosey  did  n't  know. 
'Twas  rumored,  Bragg  declined  a  fight, 

Was  reinforcing  Lee ; 
How  far  that  rumor  was  from  right, 

We  very  soon  shall  see. 

On  Rosey  pushed,  the  mountain  o'er, 
He  pushes  to  his  goal ; 


»  General  Burnside  occupied  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  September  4, 1863. 
2  General  Eosecrans  crossed  the  Tennessee  and  invested  Chatta 
nooga,  August  31, 1863. 


204          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Jeff  sends  up  Longstreet's  army  corps, 

With  prisoners  on  parole ; 
The  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson  men, 

To  Grant  and  Banks  surrendered ; 
Declared  exchanged,  they  marched  to  Bragg 

And  bloody  service  tendered. 

The  nineteenth  of  September  breaks 

On  Chickamauga  stream, 
And  on  the  left  of  Rosecrans 

The  rebel  bayonets  gleam ; 
Bragg's  troops  are  massed — he  '11  turn  the  left, 

But  Rosecrans  has  tact,  sir, 
And  Thomas  from  the  centre  conies, 

The  move  to  counteract,  sir. 

Alas !  for  Rosey,  he  has  met 

His  more  than  match  to-day, 
The  rebels  press  so  sorely  up, 

His  gallant  men  give  way ; 
They  rally,  charge — along  the  front 

Is  one  consuming  fire, 
And  from  the  ground  the  rebs  had  gained 

They  sullenly  retire. 

All  night  on  the  disputed  ground, 

Old  Rosey's  soldiers  stay ; 
The  morn  breaks,  with  no  warlike  sound, 

It  is  the  Sabbath-day ;' 
There  11  be  no  fight — the  rebels  sleep. 

Was  that  the  musket  rattle  ? 
To  arms !  the  foe  upon  the  left 

Is  opening  the  battle. 

»  The  20th  of  September,  1863. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  205 

The  rattle  of  the  musket  turns 

To  deafening  cannon  roar ; 
And  Rosey  to  his  sorrow  learns, 

As  Bragg's  great  columns  pour 
Eight  down  upon  him,  that  the  foe 

From  every  quarter  come, 
Is  pressing  with  resistless  weight, 

To  drive  the  Yankees  home. 

His  men  fall  back,  they  turn  and  flee, 

Force  Rosey  from  the  field. 
But  Thomas — like  the  mount  behind — 

Stands  firm,  he  uritt  not  yield  ; 
He  stands,  to  breast  the  rebel  tide 

That  surges  at  his  feet, 
There  "  like  a  lion,  when  at  bay," 

Fierce  onsets  firm  to  meet. 

Wave  after  wave  rolls  up  and  breaks, 

Upon  that  crescent  line ; 
The  rebels  spy  a  mountain  gap, 

Said  Bragg,  "  The  day  is  mine,  , 
If  I  can  get  my  columns  through  ; 

Go,  Longstreet,  strike  the  rear,  sir." 
The  rebels  rush  into  the  gap, 

When  suddenly  appear,  sir, 

Bold  Granger  and  his  brave  reserves, 

Of  victory  the  token ; 
Their  "  charge  was  terrible  and  swift," 

The  enemy  was  broken. 
They  fight  till  cartridges  are  out, 

And  daylight  well  nigh  o'er, 
Then  with  the  bayonet  they  rout 

The  rebs,  who  come  no  more. 


200  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Next  day — when  Thomas  thought  it  best 

To  hunt  up  Rosecrans,  sir, 
And  left  the  field. — the  rebs  at  rest 

Waked  up  and  quickly  ran,  sir, 
And  squatted  an  the  little  plat, 

And  cheered,  and  called  it  theirs,  sir ; 
For  such  a  victory  as  that, 

Jeff  doth  forget  his  cares,  sir. 

He  smiled  and  praised  the  rebel  troops 

For  Chickamauga  won,  sir, 
But  hinted,  there  was  heavy  work 

Remaining  to  be  done,  sir. 
And  Abram,  when  he  heard  the  news, 

Said,  "  Stanton,  now  I  can't,  sir, 
Run  any  risk — I  'd  rather  choose 

To  send  down  General  Grant,  sir." 

So  Grant  to  Chattanooga  went,1 

Found  Rosey  out  of  bread, 
His  men  and  horses  almost  spent — 

Bragg  knows  it  too,  he  said ; 
Now,  Bragg  had  sent  a  message  up, 

All  civilly  to  state,  sir, 
Non-combatants  should  now  forthwith, 

The  town  evacuate,  sir. 

Said  Grant,  "  That  means  he  '11  run  away, 

The  fact  I  '11  ascertain,  sir ; 
Go,  Thomas,  drive  his  pickets  in, 

And  make  his  meaning  plain,  sir." 
They  found  Bragg  felt  himself  so  strong, 

He  'd  sent  up  Longstreet's  corps 

1  General  Grant  assumed  command  of  the  military  division  of  the 
Mississippi,  comprising  the  Departments  of  the  Ohio,  Cumberland, 
and  Tennessee,  on  the  15th  of  Octoher,  18G3. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         207 

To  sweep  off  Burnside — but  ere  long, 
Brave  Sherman's  columns  pour 

In  Longstreet's  rear.     Burnside  besieged1 

At  Knoxville  stubborn  fights,  sir, 
Day  after  day,  though  well  we  know, 

His  was  a  sorry  plight,  sir. 
He  won't  abandon  Tennessee, 

He  never  will  retreat, 
But  though  his  men  fight  cheerfully, 

They've  little  left  to  eat. 

Day  after  day,  brave  Burnside  waits 

"While  Grant  is  whipping  Bragg ; 
The  twentieth  day  of  siege  is  come, 

Still  waves  the  Union  flag — 
Waves  free,  as  if  in  confidence, 

It  takes  it  fully  granted, 
By  rebel  rag  it  never  more 

Again  shall  be  supplanted. 

At  last  a  horse  pants  into  town, 

"  Good  news !"  the  rider  said  ; 
The  cavalry  are  bearing  down, 

And  Sherman,  too,  has  led 
His  men  from  Chattanooga  field, 

And  Longstreet  from  the  meeting, 
Falls  back  in  haste,  the  victory  yields 

By  everywhere  retreating.2 

Then  Sherman  walked  about  the  place, 
And  looked  at  the  redoubt 


1  Knoxville  besieged,  Norember  17, 1363. 

2  Longetreet  raises  the  siege  December  4th. 


208          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Named  Saunders — where  on  Sunday  last,1 

So  many  lives  went  out. 
Then  traveled  down  to  General  Grant,2 

Lest  Bragg  might  make  attack ; 
"  I  would  not  like  a  fight,"  thought  he, 

"Before  I  can  get  back." 

But  Bragg  of  fight  had  had  his  fill, 

The  reason  was  conclusive ; 
Said  he,  "  I  'm  driven  off  the  hill,3 

'Twould  be  a  dream  illusive, 
Now  Grant  is  posted  safe  and  high, 

And  strongly  fortified,  sir, 
For  me  to  think  of  getting  back, 

'Twon't  do — my  best  I've  tried,  sir." 

He  tells  King  Jeff  his  desperate  case, 

King  Jeff  is  quite  surprised, 
And  sends  up  Johnston  to  the  place — 

The  rebs  demoralized, 
Make  dreadful  speed ;  in  Dalton  town 

Their  horses  foam  and  pant,  sir, 
Just  anything  to  get  away, 

Out  of  the  sight  of  Grant,  sir. 

1  The  29th  of  November,  1863.    . 

2  Left  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  December  8, 1863. 

8  Lookout  Mountain  stormed  the  26th  of  November.  Mission  Ridgo 
captured  the  25th. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE  rebels  grumbled  awfully, 

And  said  'twas  very  plain, 
Bragg  could  n't  lead  the  chivalry, 

He  need  n't  try  again ; 
And  Mr.  Foote,  he  made  a  speech,1 

Said  Jeff  was  all  to  blame — 
"He  spoiled  the  fight    At  Gettysburg 

He  did  the  very  same. 

"  If  he  kept  on  his  present  course, 

'Twould  end  in  ruination. 
He,"  Mr.  Foote,  "  could  but  condemn 

The  project — by  starvation 
To  thin  the  Yankee  prisoners  out, 

As  Jefferson  was  doing."2 
Quoth  Davis,  when  he  read  the  speech, 

"  Another  storm  is  brewing." 

He  sent  for  Ould,  to  ask  him  if 

He  couldn't  move  the  hitch 
In  the  Exchange — but  Ould  said,  "  No ! 

Abe's  roused  to  such  a  pitch 

1  In  rebel  Congress,  December  8, 1863. 

4  "It  is  true  that  many  of  our  officers  felt  the  injustice  of  the  treat 
ment  inflicted  upon  the  prisoners,  but  what  could  they  do  ?  Orders 
came  from  headquarters,  and  they  were  bound  to  obey  them,  for  the 
first  duty  of  a  soldier  is  obedience."— Page  170  of  Notes  from  War 
Pictures,  by  B.  Estvan,  Colonel  of  cavalry  in  Confederate  army. 

(209) 


210          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

About  the  '  niggers/  but  I  've  sent 

A  note  will  fret  In'm  some,  sir ; 
I  wrote  that  no  more  loads  of  food 

Could  to  the  prisoners  come,  sir."1 

"  You  acted  hastily,"  said  Jeff ; 

"I  have,"  said  Quid,  " 'tis  true. 
Cut  off  from  Turner,2  and  his  set, 

A  source  of  revenue." 
"  Well,  well,"  said  Jeff,  "  these  perquisites 

Do  no  one  any  hurt,  sir, 
I  don't  see  where  your  order  hits, 

For  Winder  doth  assert,  sir, 

"  This  matter  of  Old  Abe's  supplies 

Is  neither  here  nor  there, 
Trust  Mm,  the  Yankees  will  not  get 

Much  comfort  from  their  share." 
"  The  point  is  this,"  said  Ould,  "  you  see 

I  'm  shooting  at  long  range,  sir, 
For  while  the  Yanks  can  feed  their  men, 

We  '11  never  get  exchange,  sir. 

"  This  sending  food 's  a  safety-valve, 

The  injured  Yankee  nation 
Without  it,  sir,  would  scald  Old  Abe 

In  boiling  indignation. 
And  so,  I  've  put  a  stopper,  Jeff, 

On  Abram's  cunning  measure, 
He 's  read  my  note  by  this,  and  can 

Digest  it  at  his  leisure. 

*'  So  Yankee  knaves  must  learn  to  live 
Upon  the  soldiers  '  ration ;' " 

1  See  Quid's  official  letter  of  December  11, 1863. 

2  Maj.  Turner  (and  bro.)  Commander  and  Inspector  of  Libby  Prison. 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.          211 

And  Ould's  decision,  from  the  rebs 

Met  general  approbation. 
'Tis  true,  a  few,  like  Mr.  Foote, 

Who  had  no  sort  of  tact,  sir, 
Declared  that  Ould's  fair  promises 

Were  better  than  the  fact,  sir. 

'Twas  said,  that  even  Winder  came 

From  Anderson  direct, 
To  beg  King  Jeff,  for  his  own  sake, 

Their  larder  to  inspect.1 
But  Jeff  was  out  of  sorts  that  day, 

And  was  not  very  civil, 
And  in  a  rage  was  heard  to  say, 

"  Go,  Winder— to  the  Devil  1" 

If  Winder  to  the  Devil  went, 

It  did  not  much  avail,  sir ; 
The  Devil  could  no  wo  invent 

But  was  already  stale,  sir. 
At  Anderson  and  Saulsbury, 

If  Winder  had  depicted 
Their  scenes,  the  Devil  would  have  stood 

Of  jealousy  convicted. 

His  imps  but  lately  had  been  scared 

Out  of  those  same  stockades, 
Such  sights,  they  in  accord  declared, 

Since  e'er  the  world  was  made, 
They  never  saw ;  they  'd  like  to  know 

The  author  of  the  plan, 

i  »  TWO  surgeons  were  at  one  time  sent  by  Davis  to  inspect  the 
camp,  but  a  walk  through  a  small  section  gave  them  all  the  informa 
tion  they  desired,  and  we  never  saw  them  again." — Deposition  of 
Prescott  Tracy,  82d  Regt.  N.  Y.  V. 


212          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

So  comprehensive,  they  would  show 
Great  honor  to  the  man. 

But,  if  the  Devil  would  consent, 

They  }d  rather  not  go  back,  sir. 
The  things  that  Winder  did  invent, 

Their  tender  souls  did  rack,  sir. 
They  'd  go  again  with  Keith  to  play 

In  Eastern  Tennessee, 
With  Quantrell  on  his  Kansas  raids 

They  would  keep  company. 

They'd  go  out  West  to  Albert  Pike, 

And  paint  their  faces  red. 
**  Good  Devil !  anything  you  like 

But  Southern  jails,"  they  said. 
The  Devil  smiled — said  he,  "  My  dears, 

Bight  well  your  cause  you  Ve  pleaded, 
It  ain't  my  way  to  send  my  imps 

Except  where  they  are  needed." 

"  They  11  do  without  you  in  the  South, 

Smooth  off  those  little  scowls, 
Draw  down  the  corners  of  your  mouth, 

And  look  as  wise  as  owls. 
Be  off  to  Indiana  State, 

Be  '  Golden  Circle  Knights,'  sirs, 
On  '  Despot  Abraham '  dilate, 

And  '  Constitutional  Eights/  sirs. 

"  Now,  don't  forget  the  side  your  're  on, 
There  '11  be  a  great  confusion ; 

Jeff  pays  the  best — and  slavery 
Is  my  pet  institution ; 


THE  NEW    YANKEE  DOODLE.         213 

Keep  this  in  mind,  whate'er  you  do, 

However  you  disguise  it, 
Save  slavery — IT  is  DIVINE  ! 

"Whatever  man  denies  it. 

"  A  few  of  you  had  better  go 

To  Canada,  by  land,  sirs, 
There  11  be  a  blaze  at  Buffalo, 

As  I  do  understand,  sirs ; 
A  plot 's  on  foot  to  free  the  rebs, 

At  Johnson's  Island  Camp,  sirs,1 
There  11  be  rare  sport,  I  'd  like  to  go, 

But  I  'm  just  off  a  tramp,  sirs, 

"  From  stirring  up  New  York  allies, 

I  've  no  more  time  to  roam,  sirs, 
Jeff  looks  to  me  for  his  supplies, 

And  I  must  stay  at  home,  sirs. 
If  you  can  take  it  in  your  way, 

Just  make  a  small  detail, 
To  help  our  soldiers  at  Camp  Chase  * 

And  Morgan  out  of  jail" 

'Twas  so  the  Devil  had  advised, 

His  imps  in  last  October, 
Since  then  to  his  own  great  surprise, 

He  felt  himself  grown  sober. 
He  walked  the  streets  of  Kichmond  now, 

"With  many  a  stifled  groan, 
But  all  he  asked  as  once  before 

Was  to  be  "  LET  ALONE."  s 

1  Conspiracy  to  free  prisoners,  and  burn  Buffalo  and  other  lake 
cities,  was  discovered  October  10, 1863. 

2  A  conspiracy  to  rescue  the  prisoners  in  the  Ohio  Penitentiary 
and  at  Camp  Chase,  came  to  light  November  31, 1863. 

3  "  There  was  a  man  which  had  a  spirit  of  an  unclean  devil,  and 
cried  out  with  a  lond  voice,  saying  '  Let  us  alone  1 '  "—LUKE  iv.  88. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Now  all  this  time  in  Charleston  town 

Beigned  dreadful  discontent, 
For  Stanton  had  some  gunners  down 

"With  Quincey  Gilmore  sent ; 
And  Charleston  to  the  rebels  was 

A  sort  of  forlorn  hope, 
Her  attitude,  together  with 

A  letter  from  the  Pope, 

Which  Jeff  had  got,  was  now  the  last 

And  brightest  constellation 
In  Southern  sky,  so  overcast 

By  Yankee  occupation. 
On  Morris  Island  Gilmore  lands, 

On  Wagner  makes  attack,1 
And  gallantly  he  leadeth  up 

His  white  troops  and  his  black. 

Old  Massachusett's  Fifty-fourth 2 
Stands  boldly  in  the  front, 

And  of  the  rebels'  dreadful  fire. 
Unflinching  bears  the  brunt ; 

The  colonel  falls,  and  one  by  one 
Its  officers  are  slain, 

1  July  17, 1863. 

2  Colored  Regiment. 

(214) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          215 

The  men  are  slaughtered  though  they  "  fight," 
And  slaughtered  all  in  vain. 

The  rebels  sally  from  the  fort, 

They  dig  a  long  deep  pit, 
And  bury  Gilmore's  fallen  men, 

Said  they,  "It  doth  befit 
These  '  freedom  shriekers,'  in  their  death 

To  find  ' amalgamation ; '" l 
So  in  this  safe  and  pleasant  way, 

They  did  insult  the  nation. 

Quoth  Gilmore,  "  It 's  not  over  yet ; 

My  Uncle  Samuel  says,  sir, 
In  Charleston  town  he  owes  a  debt, 

And  U.  S.  always  pays,  sir; 
He 's  waited  now  for  several  years, 

And  interest  has  run, 
And  I  '11  collect  it ; " — so  he  trains 

His  big  Swamp  Angel  gun, 

Eight  over  to  the  town,  and  waits 

For  his  small  guns  to  scrape 
Fort  Sumter's  face,  and  pierce  its  sides, 

And  knock  it  out  of  shape ; 
And  then  he  wrote  to  Beauregard, 

To  give  In'm  time  for  running, 
And  on  the  morrow  Uncle  Sam 2 

Began  his  little  dunning. 

And  every  day  for  one  whole  year, 
The  music  of  the  shell 

1  Col.  Shaw  and  his  officers  were  buried  in  the  same  trench  with  hia 
colored  soldiers. 

2  August  23, 1863. 


216          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Reminded  gentle  Beauregard 
That  when  Fort  Sumter  fell, 

And  Jeff  and  he  sat  down  to  take 
A  social  glass  of  brandy, 

That  Jeff  had  sworn  they  'd  fixed  the  fate 
Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

The  rebels  said  they  were  not  hurt 

By  all  the  shot  so  thrown  ; 
I  only  know,  in  Charleston  streets, 

With  grass  and  weeds  o'ergrown, 
On  rotting  wharves,  and  battered  walls, 

"When  down  our  troopers  came, 
They  found,  in  plainest  characters, 

Had  treason  signed  its  name. 


CHAPTEK  XXXII. 

WHILE  Foote  was  scolding  in  the  house,1 

Disgusted  with  Bragg's  fighting ; 
Old  Abe  his  proclamation  of 

Free  amnesty  was  writing.9 
The  proclamation  threw  the  rebs 

Of  Dixie  in  confusion, 
And  Foote  declared  it  was,  in  fact, 

Unwarranted  intrusion. 

And  he  resolved  (his  usual  way 

Of  venting  his  displeasure,) 
There  never  could  be  hour  or  day, 

More  ill-timed  for  the  measure ; 
That  Dixie's  spirit  still  was  high, 

Etcetera,  and  so  forth, 
They  'd  fight,  and  in  the  "  last  ditch  die," 

Or  freemen  they  would  go  forth. 

But  Longstreet  up  in  Tennessee 3 

Was  sadly  disconcerted ; 
His  men  the  proclamation  read, 

And  scores  of  them  deserted ; 
And  Davis  found  his  load  of  care 

Did  steadily  increase, 

1  Rebel  House  of  Representatives,  Dec.  15, 1863.       2  Dec.  8, 18G3. 

8  See  Longstreet's  correspondence  with  Gen.  Foster,  January,  1864. 

10  '217^ 


218  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

For  Dixie  journals  here  and  there 
Were  calling  out  for  peace. 

The  North  Carolina  discontent, 

Vance l  said,  was  growing  stronger, 
Jeff  must  a  remedy  invent, 

He  could  n't  hold  out  longer ; 
Wrote  he,  "  The  people  are  possessed 

In  wishing  for  a  peace. 
'Tis  strange,  the  more  they  are  distressed 

Their  clamors  more  increase. 

"  It 's  come  to  this, — we  cannot  choose, 

We  must  negotiate 
With  Abe,  King  Jeff,  or  we  shall  lose 

Outright  the  Old  North  State." 
"  Negotiate,"  growled  out  King  Jeff, 

"  That  is  a  famous  joke,  sir, 
Vance  must  have  slept,  these  last  three  years, 

And  has  but  just  awoke,  sir." 

He  wrote  to  Vance  (in  confidence) 

"  Three  efforts  I  have  made 
To  come  to  terms,  but  Abe  has  not 

The  slightest  notice  paid 
To  my  attempts ;  we  have  no  choice, 

To  fight 's  our  only  course, 
And  I  advise  you,  Vance,  to  try 

The  argument  of  force." 2 

While  Vance  is  trying  Jeff's  wise  plan, 
He  hears  a  heavy  tramp 


1  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 

a  See  Davis'  correspondence  with  Governor  Vance. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         219 

Of  Abe's  five  hundred  thousand  more 

In  his  instruction  camp.1 
And  o'er  the  Mississippi  comes 

A  noise  of  cavalry,  sir, 
And  bothers  Vance,  who  "  works  his  sums  " 

Out  slow  and  wearily,  sir. 

Tis  "  crazy  "  Sherman  in  the  West, 

Who  leads  a  promenade,  sir,9 
(By  crazy  people,  sometimes  great 

Discoveries  are  made,  sir ;) 
And  Old  Tecumseh  on  his  raid 

Found  rations  were  so  handy 
In  Dixie's  Land,  he  could  subsist 

All  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

He  treasured  up  this  little  bit 

Of  useful  information, 
And  when  there  came  a  season  fit 

He  gave  it  to  the  nation. 
But  while  he  runs  his  sabre  through 

The  bubble  of  secession, 
That  other  raider,  Colonel  Straight, 

From  Libby  makes  egression.3 

Through  tunnel,  patiently  scooped  out 

Beneath  the  sentry's  beat, 
One  hundred  captured  officers 

Stand  free  upon  the  street. 
The  rebs  on  guard  see  dusky  forms 

Diverging  from  the  shed,4 

1  Draft  ordered  February,  1864.      2  Left  Vicksburgh  February,  1864. 

3  February  10, 1864. 

4  "  One  of  the  guards  told  me  that  they  saw  our  men  escaping 
through  the  tunnel,  and  that  they  did  not  prevent  them,  supposing  it 
was  their  own  men  stealing  our  boxes."— Deposition  of  Capt.  A.  B. 
Calhoun,  June  1, 1864. 


220          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Where  Abe's  great  boxes  of  supplies 
"Were  stored ;  they  only  said, 

"  Our  boys  are  out  again  to-night, 

A-confiscating  things." 
And  ere  they  turned  again,  the  forms 

Had  somehow  taken  wings. 
And  off  through  lane,  and  wood,  and  swamp, 

The  scattered  patriot  band, 
Hound  hunted,  sore  and  famished,  all 

Are  headed  for  "  God's  Land." 

Some  drop  in  faintness  by  the  way, 

But  Sambo's  hut  is  handy, 
And  Sambo  never  did  betray 

His  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
He  gives  him  all  he  has  to  eat, 

"  For  Linkum's  sake  "  he  said, 
While  Dinah  bathes  his  bleeding  feet 

And  "  shakes  him  up  "  a  bed. 

And  Sambo  guides  him  through  the  swamps, 

Across  the  bridge  of  logs, 
And  skillfully  he  teaches  him 

To  foil  the  rebel  dogs. 
So  on  they  plod,  so  wearily, 

Till  startled  by  a  tramp 
Of  cavalry, — oh !  joy  to  see ! 

The  blue  coats,  from  the  camp.1 

Now  rest,  poor  battered  patriots, 

From  hunger,  cold,  and  rags, 
And  learn  to  smile !     See,  yonder  wave 

The  glorious  Union  flags. 

1  Gen.  Butler  eent  out  cavalry  to  meet  the  fugitives. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  221 

Drink  deep  of  air  and  light  once  more, 

Then,  now  again  so  free, 
Remember  Libby  and  Belle  Me, 

And  strike  for  Liberty ! 

Said  bold  Kilpatrick  to  his  men, 

"  Here  is  a  chance,  no  doubt,  sirs, 
I  don't  see  why  we  can't  go  in, 

Since  Straight  has  just  come  out,  sirs ; 
Let 's  make  a  dash  for  Libby,  men ! 

And  rescue,  ere  they  die, 
Our  gallant  boys  in  Belle  Isle  pen." 

Four  thousand  throats  reply. 

And  bit  and  bridle  to  their  steeds, 

Impatiently  they  stand, 
No  second  word  Kilpatrick  needs 

To  speak  to  his  command ; 
Young  Dahlgren  springs  upon  his  horse, 

No  thought  of  danger  tames 
His  bounding  heart, — he  leads  the  way, 

He 's  off  across  the  James.1 

He  sees  but  one  absorbing  sight, 

He  rideth  gallantly, 
He  '11  reach  Belle  Isle  before  the  night, 

And  set  the  captives  free. 
His  horses  feel  the  goading  spurs, 

They  dash  through  sun  and  shade, 
Through  wood  and  field ;  and  halt  at  last, 

In  rebel  ambuscade  ! 

A  flash  of  sabres,  and  a  shot, 
A  struggle  in  the  dark, 

1  Leaves  Cnlpepper  February  28, 1864. 


222          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  Dahlgren's  horse  is  riderless, 

And  he  is  lying  stark.1 
In  vain  Kilpatrick  waits  for  him, 

In  vain  his  signal  gun ; 
No  answer  eomes,  'tis  all  in  vain, 

Kilpatrick's  raid  is  done. 

He  turns  his  horses  round  about, 

And  strikes  for  Yorktown  Station, 
And  leaves  the  rebs  in  Richmond  town 

In  dreadful  consternation. 
They  ring  the  bells,  and  call  to  arms, 

And  Jeff  sends  off  to  Lee, 
To  say  the  "  Yanks  "  are  at  the  gate 

With  all  their  cavalry. 

And  Satan  with  a  wicked  frown, 

Comes  out  of  Castle  Thunder, 
Walks  to  and  fro  throughout  the  town, 

And  sends  his  slaves  down  under 
The  prison  walls,  to  stow  a  stock 

Of  double  proof  gunpowder ; 2 
Says  he,  "  When  Yankees  loud  do  knock, 

We  11  answer  them  still  louder." 

The  hours  passed  by,  no  knocking  came 

But  that  of  their  own  hearts, 
And  rebels  blushing  in  their  shame, 

And  tingling  with  the  smarts 
Of  passing  fear,  began  to  scold 

King  Jeff  for  being  scared ; 

1  Dahlgren  murdered  March  4, 1864. 

2  Major  Turner  said  in  my  presence,  the  day  we  were  paroled,  in 
answer  to  the  question  "Was  the  prison  mined?"  "Yes,  and  I 
would  have  blown  yon  all  to  Hades  before  I  would  have  suffered  you 
to  be  rescued."— Affidavit  of  Col.  Farnsworth. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          223 

He  might  have  known  the  Yanks  were  bold, 
And  should  have  been  prepared. 

'Twas  rumored  Jeff  had  packed  his  trunks, 

And  sent  them  off  by  rail ; 
'Twas  vain  the  rebel  press  declared 

'Twas  but  an  idle  tale. 
What!  Jeff  desert  "Virginia ! 

Richmond  evacuated ! 
'Twas  in  her  sacred  precincts  that 

The  "  last  ditch  "  was  located. 

For  ever  as  the  days  rolled  on 

The  rumor  was  repeated ; 
And  on  reb  visages  forlorn, 

Suspicion  grew  deep  seated. 
In  vain  they  choked  the  rising  groan, 

Or  tried  to  drown  in  brandy 
The  fear  of  being  left  alone 

With  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy, 


CHAPTER^XXXIII. 

KING  JEFF  stuffs  cotton  in  his  ears 

To  keep  out  rebel  grumbling ; 
But  there 's  a  deeper  noise  he  hears 

Continually  rumbling : 
'Tis  Abram's  trains  of  volunteers, 

And  wagons  heavy  freighted ; 
Quoth  Jeff,  "Abe's  armies  it  appears 

Are  being  concentrated. 

"  'Tis  clear  the  tyrant  is  resolved 

Upon  a  desperate  course ; 
He 's  mustering  all  Yankeedom, 

And  with  tremendous  force 
He  '11  strike,  to  crush  us  by  his  iveight ; 

I  'm  not  alarmed  at  all, 
But  I  must  trim  my  ship  of  state 

To  weather  such  a  squalL" 

So  Jeff  sends  off  for  General  Bragg — 

He  could  n't  find  a  wiser — 
To  come  to  Richmond  for  to  be 

Jeff's  right  hand  and  adviser. 
And  Lincoln  sent  for  General  Grant ;' 

Said  he,  "  'Tis  a  relief,  sir, 
To  make  so  sensible  a  man 

Our  General-in-Chief,  sir." 

1  March  12, 1863. 
(224) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         225 

And  Jonathan  endorsed  the  move ; 

"  'Twas  true,"  the  old  man  said, 
"  The  army  had  for  many  days 

Been  weak  about  the  head."1 
So  Grant  and  Halleck  coalesced, 

The  experiment  was  fine, 
And  proved  the  ornamental  with 

The  useful  can  combine. 

Grim  Grant  brought  up  his  best  segars 

To  smoke  the  rebels  out ; 
He  brought  up,  too,  his  son  of  Mars, 

"  For  Sheridan,  no  doubt," 
Said  he,  "  we  11  need  to  send  the  rebs 

A-whirling  down  the  valley." 
Then  Grant  he  sounds  a  bugle  blast 

And  Abe's  battalions  rally. 

They  do  not  cheer  for  little  Grant 

"Whene'er  he  comes  in  sight,  sir ; 
They  only  stand  still  more  erect 

And  draw  their  belts  up  tight,  sir. 
They  've  heard  of  Grant,  and  know  't  is  true 

What  all  the  rebels  say, 
That  once  at  work,  his  task  he  11  do     • 

If  in  no  other  way — 

He  '11  bridge  the  ditch  with  heaps  of  slain, 
"Who  perish  in  the  strife ; 


1  "  Halleck's  Official  Report  had  shown  that  operations  were  some 
times  directed  by  the  President,  with  or  without  the  approval  of  hia 
military  counsellors,  sometimes  by  one  or  another  of  his  military 
counsellors  without  the  approval  of  the  President,  and  sometimes  by 
the  General  in  the  field  without  the  approval  of  any  one.— See  "  Twelve 
Decisive  Battles  of  the  War,"  page  361. 

10* 


226          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Bui  he  'U  exact  for  every  man 

The  foe  shaU  give  a  life. 
"  A  life  for  life,"  said  "butcher  "  Grant, 

"  For  six  from  six  leaves  nought,  sir ; 
But  six  from  twelve 's  another  thing," 

And  so  his  reck'ning  brought,  sir, 

This  grave  conclusion — "  Stroke  on  stroke, 

Till  Jeff  repents  his  sin ; 
An  equal  loss  is  victory — 

I  can  lose  half  and  win." 
Then  Jonathan,  he  tells  Old  Abe, 

That  Grant  must  have  carte  blanche,  sir, 
That  if  nobody  interferes 

The  rebs  won't  have  a  chance,  sir. 

Grant  wrote  to  Sherman  that  same  day 

To  make  a  move  instanter 
On  Johnston,  who  had  stopped  the  way 

'Twixt  him  and  doomed  Atlanta. 
So  while  in  Richmond  Jeff  and  Bragg 

Mourned  over  hopes  departed, 
"Demented"  Sherman  took  his  flag 

And  into  Dixie  started. 


CHAPTEE   XXXIV. 

ONE  Sunday  morning,  just  as  Abe1 

Was  going  out  to  meeting, 
In  came  Old  Jonathan  and  said, 

"Without  a  word  of  greeting, 
"  Here,  Abe,  I  've  brought  our  Betsey  Jane, 

To  speak  a  word  with  you,  sir. 
She 's  true  as  steel,  and  good  as  gold, 

And  what  she  says,  she  '11  do,  sir." 

"  I  'm  glad  to  see  you,  Betsey  Jane, 

Be  pleased  to  take  a  chair." 
And  Abe  sat  down  between  the  twain 

With  a  bewildered  air. 
"  There 's  nothing  wrong,  I  hope,"  he  said, 

"  This  is  so  bright  a  day." 
"Yes,  sir,"  said  Jonathan,  "there  is, 

The  devil  is  to  pay !" 

And  Jonathan,  he  struck  his  cane 

So  hard  upon  the  floor, 
He  startled  Abe ;  and  Betsey  Jane, 

(Who  spoke  no  word  before,) 
Said,  "  Jonathan — you  're  roused  again, 

You  '11  not  be  understood,  sir, 

1  About  the  middle  of  May,  1864. 

(227) 


228          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Be  patient,  man,  and  speak  out  plain 
Your  anger  does  no  good,  sir." 

"  It  does  do  good,"  roared  Jonathan ; 

"  I  must  n't  make  a  noise  ? 
God  help  us !  Abraham,"  he  groaned, 

"  They  're  murdering  our  boys !" 
"  Too  many,  sir,"  said  Abraham, 

"  Are  counted  with  the  slain." 
"  It  is  n't  that.     They  're  starving  them 

In  Southern  jails,"  said  Jane. 

"  We  're  just  up  from  Annapolis,1 

We  've  seen  such  dreadful  woe, 
I  'm  fearful  I  should  speak  amiss 

If  I  should  try  to  show, 
What  I  have  seen,  as  to  and  fro 

The  hospitals  I  've  walked,  sir."* 
"  What  do  they  say  ?"  said  Abraham : 

Said  Betsey  Jane,  "  I  've  talked,  sir, 

"  To  these  poor  living  skeletons, 

Of  friends — of  going  home,  sir, 
But  on  their  pinched  and  pallid  face 

A  smile  has  never  come,  sir.3 
Our  words  of  kindness — all  too  late, 

Are  powerless  to  save, 
For  food  alone — crushed,  desolate, 

They  still  have  strength  to  crave. 

1  In  the  late  (May,  1864,)  temporary  resumption  of  the  cartel,  boat 
loads  of  half-naked  living  skeletons,  foul  with  filth'  and  covered  with 
vermin,  were  landed  at  Annapolis. 

*  See  Report  of  Commission  of  Inquiry,  appointed  by  Sanitary 
Commission.  Published  by  Littell,  Boston. 

3  "  As  if  they  had  passed  through  a  period  of  physical  and  mental 
agony,  which  had  driven  the  smile  from  their  faces  forever,"— Page  5 
of  Report. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  229 

"  From  bed  to  bed,  from  ward  to  ward,1 

The  same  sad  sight,"  said  Jane, 
"  Blank,  bony  faces,  staring  out 

Above  the  counterpane ; 
Beneath  the  sheet — oh,  misery ! 

Shrivelled  to  skin  and  bone, 
Our  boys — alive — some  famine-wild, 

Some  idiotic  grown. 

"  The  sunken  eye,  the  blighted  skin — 

Sand-bruised,  and  dead,  and  rough, 
The  bones  protruding — sockets  dry — 

Oh !  Abe,  it  is  enough 
To  break  one's  heart  to  contemplate 

Such  agony  unspoken," 
"Hush!  hush!"  said  Jonathan,  "there — wait — 

For  Abe's  is  being  broken." 

Old  Abe  had  sunk  down  in  his  chair, 

His  head  upon  his  breast, 
His  hands  were  clenched,  and  Betsey  heard 

A  groan  but  half  repressed. 
She  opened  up  her  reticule, 

"  Here  is  a  photograph,  sir, 
I  've  brought  to  show  you — it  is  one, 

There 's  many  more  than  half,  sir, 

"  Of  our  exchanged,  resembling  it, 

For  one  may  stand  for  all" 
"  Do  they  all  die  ?"  said  Abraham, 

"  This  dead  form  doth  appall !" 
"  That  is  a  living  skeleton — 

My  boy.    John  was  his  name,  sir ; 

1  See  Report,  as  above. 


230  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

His  grandsire,  Jonathan,  and  I 
Just  from  his  bedside  came,  sir. 

"  He  does  n't  know  us,  sir,  as  yet, 

He  wails  at  every  breath 
For  food ;  we  dole  it  out,  for  food 

Is  agony  and  death 
To  those  so  long  kept  starving,  Abe, 

And  Jonathan  and  I, 
Have  smothered  grief  as  day  by  day 

We  've  listened  to  that  cry, 

"  Till  Jonathan  has  grown  quite  faint, 

And  sick  with  indignation, 
And  I  have  come  to  ask  you  if 

The  honor  of  the  nation, 
Must  be  maintained  at  such  a  price  ? 

If  rebels,  loathsome,  vile, 
Must  hold  our  soldiers  till  they  rot 

In  Libby  and  Belle  Isle  ?" 

"  Ask  Jonathan,"  said  Abraham, 

"  Whate'er  he  says  is  law" 
"I'm  thinking  of  Fort  Pillow,  Abe,1 

And  slaves  they  took  in  war ; 
We  must  be  just.     This  foul  abuse 

Is  with  a  purpose  done,  sir, 
It  had  its  origin,  Old  Abe, 

When  strife  was  first  begun,  sir." 

"They  say  it's  dire  necessity ; 
They  have  n't  food  to  spare." 


1  April  12, 1964,  Fort  Pillow  was  captured,  and  the  garrison  mur 
dered  after  surrender. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         231 

"  Good  heavens,  Abe  !"  said  Jonathan, 

"  Their  cattle  better  fare. 
Besides,  they  were  not  forced  by  want, 

When  they  their  prisons  made,  sir, 
To  choose  a  pestilential  swamp 

The  site  for  their  stockade,  sir." 

"  It  did  n't  add  to  their  supplies 

To  mark  out  a  dead  line,  sir ; 
And  water  'sfree — and  yet  our  men 

For  water  pant  and  pine,  sir ; 
The  country 's  full  of  forests,  Abe, 

They  grudge  pur  boys  the  logs, 
And  fireless,  and  shelterless, 

They've  grovelled  like  the  hogs.1 

"  No,  Abraham,  it 's  done  to  Ml ! 

Old  Winder's  foul  stockade 
Has  slain  more  men  for  Jefferson 

Than  all  Lee's  cannonade ; 
The  only  way  that  I  can  see 

This  horror  to  abate, 
Is  to  make  Grant  the  remedy, 

You  can't  retaliate" 

"  Well,  Jonathan,"  said  Betsey  Jane, 

"  While  Satan,  sir,  is  stalking 
All  through  the  land,  'tis  very  plain 

/  have  no  time  for  talking. 

1  "  They  lay  in  the  ditch,  aa  the  most  protected  place,  heaped  upon 
one  another  and  lying  close  together,  as  one  of  them  expressed  it, 
like  hogs  in  winter,  taking  turns  as  to  who  should  have  the  outside 
of  the  road.  In  the  morning,  the  row  of  the  previous  night  was 
marked  by  the  motionless  forms  of  those  who  were  sleeping  on  in 
their  last  sleep— frozen  to  death."— Sanitary  Commission  Report, 
page  11. 


232          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

1 11  go  back  to  the  soldier's  bed, 
You  '11  find  out,  I  dare  say,  sirs, 

Some  plan  to  save  them — when  tliey  're  dead, 
That 's  not  a  woman's  way,  sirs." 

"  "What  would  you  do  ?"  said  Abraham ; 

Said  Betsy  Jane,  in  answer, 
"  I  would  not  waste  most  precious  time 

In  poulticing  a  cancer. 
You  threatened  to  retaliate, 

And  won  our  grateful  thanks,  sir, 
But  after  the  report  we  found 

Your  cartridges  were  blanks,  sir. 

"  I  would  n't  be  surprised  at  all, 

"Were  Jeff  now  safe  in  jail, 
You  two  would  talk,  and  talk,  and  call 

A  court,  and  give  him  bail." 
Here  Abram  smiled.     "  Yes,  sir,"  said  Jane, 

"  You  men,  with  all  your  reason, 
Are  fit  to  twist  and  turn  out  Jeff 

As  innocent  of  Treason." 

Old  Jonathan  uneasily, 

Was  pacing  to  and  fro 
Across  the  floor.     "  Come,  Betsey  Jane," 

Said  he,  "  it 's  time  to  go. 
You'd  better  speak  to  Stanton,  Abe,« 

These  cruelties  must  cease,  sir, 
Our  starving  soldiers  must  obtain, 

Some  way,  a  quick  release,  sir." 

Then  Abe  called  Stanton,  who  declared, 
"Whatever  folks  might  say, 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  233 

That  lie,  for  one,  would  not  consent, 

To  give  Jeff  his  own  way ; 
"  We  've  thirty  thousand  stalwart  rebs, 

Jeff  wants  them  now  at  home — 
For  them  he  11  fill  our  hospitals." 

Said  Abe,  "  The  boys  must  corne. 

"  It 's  no  use,  Stanton,  we  must  fight 

The  rebels  at  their  strange^, — 
Give  Jeff  his  reinforcements  ;  if 

The  right  way  is  the  longest, 
It  will  not  matter  in  the  end, 

So  History  may  tell, 
Not  that  our  work  was  quicldy  done, 

But  that  we  did  it  well !" 

Thus  "  man  for  man,"  the  cartel  ran, 

And  sorrowful  to  know, 
That  never  Charon  o'er  the  Styx 

Steered  such  a  load  of  woe, 
As  down  the  James  to  Jonathan, 

And  Betsey  Jane,  who  waited. 
The  truce-boat  steamed,  with  nameless  grief, 

And  misery  deep  freighted. 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

WHEN  Jeff  and  Bragg,  in  Richmond  heard 

Of  Sherman  on  the  move, 
That  he  had  knocked  his  army  from 

The  military  groove, 
And  now  was  miming  from  his  base, 

Three  hundred  miles  away, 
Jeff  laughed,  and  Bragg  he  had  the  grace 

Right  saucily  to  say : 

"  Tecumseh  's  on  the  war-path,  Jeff, 

Great  warrior  of  his  nation, 
He  '11  whoop  when  Wheeler's  raiders  cut 

Through  his  communication." 
But  Sherman's  lines  were  like  the  snake, 

Which,  when  once  cut  in  two, 
Wriggles  its  ends  together,  and 

Is  just  as  good  as  new. 

Down  dash  the  raiders,  tear  up  rails, 

And  burn  a  few  cross-ties, 
Up  backs  a  reconstruction  train, 

The  new  made  gap  supplies. 
So,  leaving  Johnston's  cavalry 

To  sport  at  their  own  pleasure, 
The  ground  'twist  Tiim  and  rebel  camp, 

Doth  crazy  Sherman  measure. 

(234) 


THE  NEW    YANKEE  DOODLE.          235 

He  finds  a  mountain  spur  between, 

By  Buzzard's  Boost  Gap  deft, 
The  pass  was  strongly  fortified, 

He  turns  it  to  the  left. 
Now  left — now  right — now  in  advance, 

Till  Johnston,  all  in  sadness, 
Finds  out  that  crazy  Sherman  hath 

A  method  in  his  madness. 

Quoth  Jo,  "  It  is  not  very  clear. 

I  must  consult  my  map ; 
McPherson's  getting  in  my  rear  ; 

It 's  very  like  a  trap." 
He  falls  back  on  Eesaca.    That 

"Was  just  to  Hooker's  mind,1 
And  somehow  in  the  falling  back 

Eesaca  falls  behind. 

Jo  does  n't  stop.    At  Adairsville 2 

Doth  Newton  touch  his  rear ; 
It  shrinks  away  from  his  bold  grasp, 

And  rebels  said  't  was  clear, 
"  That  General  Jo  did  drag  the  Yanks 

From  their  communication, 
"When  they  were  where  he  wanted  them 

He  'd  deal  annihilation." 

Said  Jo,  "  My  Allatoona  Pass 

Will  brave  the  Yankee's  might,  sir ;" 

"  Ah,  ha !"  said  Sherman,  "  I  'm  in  haste, 
I  '11  turn  it  to  the  right,  sir ; 


1  Battle  of  Resaca,  fought  May  15, 1864.    Hooker  drove  the  enemy 
from  several  hills,  and  Johnston  escaped  in  the  night. 

2  Second  of  May,  1864. 


236          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

If  I  can  get  to  Dallas  first — 

I  do  not  care  to  banter — 
But  Jo  will  rather  have  the  worst 

In  racing  for  Atlanta." 

Jo  sees  the  game,  he  takes  a  stand 

With  Hood  in  line  of  battle, 
And  day  by  day  fierce  skirmishing ' 

Keeps  up  the  musket  rattle. 
Jo  thinks  the  Yanks  "  disorganized," 

He  makes  a  sudden  rush, 
McPherson's  corps  will  be  surprised, 

Jo  will  the  Yankees  crush. 

With  shout  and  yells,  the  rebels  dash 2 

On  Logan's  brave  division 
A  lightning  flash,  and  dreadful  crash, 

And  swift,  with  sharp  incision ; 
The  rebel  ranks  are  mowed  like  grain, 

The  rebel  columns  reel,  sir ; 
They  rally  once,  and  once  again, 

And  meet  McPherson's  steel,  sir. 

The  baffled  foe  drew  back,  and  left 

His  wounded  and  his  dead, 
And  Sherman  makes  another  flank : 

The  rebs  in  Richmond  said 
The  news  was  satisfactory, 

Their  sanguine  hopes  did  meet, 
"  That  all  Jo  Johnston's  victories 

Were  won  by  his  retreat." 


I  Near  New  Hope,  Ga.,  May  25th. 

II  Battle  of  Dallas,  28th  of  May. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  237 

But  as  to  Jo  himself,  lie  might 

With  reason  be  confounded ; 
Now  flanked  to  right,  and  now  to  left, 

And  now  well  nigh  surrounded ; 
He  gains  the  mount  of  Kenesaw, 

Secure  upon  its  height,  sir, 
While  Old  Tecumseh  halts  below,1 

With  every  camp  in  sight,  sir. 

Three  weeks  of  skirmishing  and  mud, 

Till  reb  as  well  as  Yank 
Cried  out,  impatient  of  delay, 

"  Why  don't  Tecumseh  flank  ?" 
Said  Sherman,  "  I  'm  a  man  of  sense, 

They  're  very  much  at  fault,  sir ; 
I  've  more  than  one  way  of  offence, 

I  '11  Kenesaw  assault,  sir." 

He  makes  attack,*  it 's  no  use  now 

The  blunder  to  detail ; 
Two  armies 8  strike,  apart,  at  once, 

And  both  the  armies  fail. 
Half  up  the  slope  the  veterans  fight, 

Then  broken,  crushed,  retire ; 
As  well  toil  up  the  dreadful  height 

Of  Etna,  when  on  fire. 

Jo  telegraphs  a  victory, 

And  then  sends  off  a  letter, 
To  tell  King  Jeff  he 's  flanked  again 

With  Yanks  at  Marietta ; 4 


1  June  11, 1864. 

2  17th  of  July,  1864. 

3  Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 

4  Sherman  occupies  Marietta. 


238          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

That  he  is  making  greatest  speed 

To  get  across  the  river,1 
Ere  Sherman's  guns  unlimbered  be, 

And  canister  deliver. 

Jeff  frowned,  and  wrote  to  General  Hood 

That  he  was  sadly  grieved ; 
He  always  knew  Jo  was  no  good  ; 

That  now  he  was  relieved,2 
He  hoped  that  Hood  would  imitate 

The  gallant  General  Lee, 
And  never  more  insult  the  state 

With  Fabian  policy. 

Said  Hood,  "  My  gallant  boys  in  grey, 

There  '11  be  no  more  retreating  ; 
Well  change  our  tactics,  and  to-day 

Will  give  the  Yanks  a  beating." 
They  sallied  from  their  works  in  force,3 

With  frantic  scream  and  yell, 
And  down  on  Sherman's  startled  troops, 

With  desperation  fell. 

On,  as  a  mighty  avalanche, 

Crumbling,  and  caving  runs, 
So  pressed  they,  melting  as  they  went, 

Before  Tecumseh's  guns ; 
On  and  over  their  own  dead 

They  never  stopped  or  quailed, 
Till  Hood,  in  disappointment  said, 

"  Our  bold  sortie  has  failed." 


J  Johnston  crossed  the  Chattahootchee,  July  9, 1864. 

•J  July  17th,  1864 

'  July  20th,  Hood  sallied  from  his  Peach  Tree  Creek  line  and  attacked. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         239 

Hood  does  riifall  back ;  has  n't  Jeff 

Expressed  a  prohibition  ? 
But,  two  days  after  his  assault, 

He  changes  his  position, 
Behind  a  strong  line  of  redoubts, 

He  puts  the  army  down; 
He 's  bound  to  keep  Tecumseh  out ; 

Of  his  Atlanta  town. 

Up  comes  the  tireless  Yankee  host, 

Their  coil  is  growing  tight ; 
Cried  Hood,  "  To  wait  is  to  be  lost, 

I  must  go  out  and  fight." 
He  starts  in  desperate  agony,1 

And  out  his  chieftains  go; 
The  army  of  the  Tennessee 

Is  there  to  meet  their  blow. 

HcPherson  falls,  but  Logan  lives, 

Is  ready  with  his  life; 
"  McPherson  and  Eevenge  !  "  he  cries 

And  leads  the  gallant  strife. 
Pressed  back  at  every  point,  at  last 

Hood  calls  his  rebs  inside, 
The  next  contraction  of  the  coil 

In  terror  to  abide. 

Tecumseh,  as  he  presses,  has 

A  very  strong  suspicion, 
That  Hood,  of  his  late  rash  sortie 

Will  make  a  repetition. 
He 's  right ;  for  out  Hardee  and  Lee, 

Their  countless  masses  pour, 

1  July  22nd. 


240          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  dash,  and  break  themselves  in  vain 
Against  the  Fifteenth  Corps.1 

In  vain,  in  vain,  they  only  swell 

Their  aggregate  of  lost ; 
Hood  learns  at  last  his  lesson  well 

But  at  a  fearful  cost. 
He  'd  let  offensive  work  alone, 

He  would  most  certainly, 
But  that  he  does  n't  like  to  own 

Jo's  Fabian  policy. 

Tecumseh  stretched  out  to  the  right, 

And  made  some  demonstration 
Along  his  line,  but  what  he  sought 

Was  Hood's  communication. 
Hood's  line  was  fifteen  miles  in  length, 

'Twas  thin  as  any  shell; 
"When  it  might  break  in  Sherman's  grasp 

There 's  nobody  could  tell. 

All  round  and  round  his  little  cage 

Hood  beat  his  puzzled  head, 
And  dodged,  in  helplessness  and  rage, 

The  shells  Tecumseh  sped. 
"  I  can't  whip  Sherman  in  a  fight," 

Cried  out  despairing  Hood ; 
"  Go,  Wheeler,  start  this  very  night, 

And  make  a  change  for  good. 

"Take  out  your  troops,  and  operate 
In  Old  Tecumseh's  rear,  sir, 

So  far  as  I  can  calculate 

The  end  is  drawing  near,  sir. 

1  On  the  28th  July. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          241 

If  I  can't  starve  him  off,  why  then 

He  '11  surely  starve  me  out,  sir," 
So  strangely,  under  pressure,  men 

Do  put  themselves  about,  sir. 

For  Wheeler,  off  on  useless  raids, 

His  cavalry  doth  goad, 
And  leaves  Tecumseh  unopposed, 

To  cut  the  Macon  road. 
Cut  off  by  east,  cut  off  by  south, 

And  with  the  coil  contracting, 
Hood  wishes,  in  his  inmost  soul, 

That  Jeff  was  less  exacting. 

Once  more  he  sends  Hardee  and  Lee 

To  pierce  the  living  wall; 
The  rebel  corps  strike  gallantly, 

But  many  thousands  fall;1 
Hood's  army  dwindles  fast  away 

Before  his  helpless  gaze. 
That  night  Tecumseh's  soldiers  lay  3 

And  wondered  at  the  blaze 

That  turned  the  heavens,  far  and  wide, 

Into  a  sea  of  fire, 
And  reddened,  in  Atlanta  town, 

Its  every  roof  and  spire. 
But  Sherman,  on  the  morrow,  found 

His  long  campaign  was  done  ; 
He  wrote  to  Grant,  "  Atlanta,  sir, 

Is  ours,  and  fairly  won." 3 


i  September  1, 1864. 

a  That  night  Hood  blew  up  his  magazine,  burned  his  stores,  and 
one  thousand  bales  of  cotton,  and  evacuated  Atlanta. 
3  Sherman's  tr<5ops  took  possession  September  2, 1804. 
11 


CHAPTEE    XXXVI. 

THE  meanwhile  in  Virginia, 

Across  the  Bapidan, 
One  bright  May  morning,  our  grim  Grant 

His  skirmishing  began. J 
Like  fighting  Jo  he  meets  with  Lee,s 

Down  in  the  Wilderness ; 
He  leads  the  battle  gallantly, 

Our  Jo  did  nothing  less. 

He  deals,  like  Jo,  his  sturdy  blows, 

He  fights  until  the  night ; 
His  loss  is  dreadful,  and  the  dark 

Shuts  out  a  fearful  sight. 
And  Grant,  like  Burnside,  and  like  Jo, 

Feels  many  a  chilling  shiver, 
But  unlike  them,  straight  on  he  '11  go, 

He  wont  recross  the  river. 

Lee  tries  the  tactics  he  had  tried 

So  lately  on  our  Jo,  sir ; 
He  masses ;  down  upon  the  left 

His  heavy  columns  throws,  sir. 
Hour  after  hour  the  strife  goes  on, 

No  ground  is  gained  or  lost, 

1  Crosses  the  Rapidan  May  3. 

2  Battle  of  the  Wilderness  begins  May  4. 

(242) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  243 

They  wrestle,  almost  man  to  man, 
God  knows  at  what  a  cost. 

For  Hays  sinks  down  beneath  the  flood, 

And  many  a  noble  life 
Is  quenched  beneath  the  bitter  waves 

Of  that  mysterious  strife  ; 
The  sun  goes  down  upon  the  fight, 

It  rises  on  the  field 
Where  foe  holds  foe,  as  in  a  vice  ; 

None  conquer,  and  none  yield. 

The  wounded  stream  out  into  sight, 

The  living  still  go  in ; 
The  tangled  thicket  grows  alive, 

Whence  issues  fearful  din 
Of  unseen  battle.     Wadsw,orth  falls ! 

All  honor  to  the  dead 
Who  fell  with  him,  as  gloriously 

The  hopeless  charge  he  led. 

The  stretchers  bear  the  dying  out, 

They  carry  in  more  powder ; 
The  conflict  thickens,  now  a  shout — 

The  battle-crash  grows  louder ; 
With  cheer  on  cheer,  and  stroke  on  stroke, 

With  skill  that  is  but  folly ; 
A  grapple,  wrestle,  face  to  face, 

And  volley  upon  volley. 

The  tide  of  battle  to  and  fro, 

Sways  like  a  pendulum, 
Held  fixed  between,  nor  Grant,  nor  Lee, 

Doth  nearer  victory  come, 


244          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  morrow ! — not  a  cheer  went  up 

From  patriot  or  from  foe, 
But  all  along  the  trampled  ground 

Went  up  a  wail  of  woe. 

Full  fifteen  thousand  weltering 

In  that  dark  field  of  death ! 
No  wonder  Lee  moved  out  of  sight, 

And  Grant  drew  quick  his  breath, 
As  "  Forward  1"  was  the  order  given 

Along  his  battered  lines, 
And  friend  and  foe  moved  off,  and  left 

Their  dead  among  the  pines. 

A  race  to  Spottsylvania  next, 

Where  Sedgwick  gives  his  life, 
And  many  a  weary  patriot 

Sinks  in  the  bitter  strife ; 
Where  Sheridan  sets  out  to  find 

The  rebs,  communication, 
And  does  n't  stop  till  he 's  behind 

The  works  at  Richmond  Station.1 

Where  Hancock  "  finished  Johnston  up 

And  then  went  into  Early," 
And  captured  Stuart,  who,  it  seems, 

Behaved  quite  cross  and  surly.2 
Where  "  butcher  "  Grant  and  butcher  Lee 

Piled  awful  heaps  of  slain, 


1  Sheridan's  command  gets  between  the  first  and  second  rebel  line 
at  Richmond,  on  May  llth. 

2  When  Hancock  offered  his  hand  to  Stuart,  the  rebel  replied :  "  I 
am  General  Stuart,  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  under  present  cir 
cumstances  I  decline  to  take  your  hand!"    Hancock  replied,  "And 
under  any  other  circumstances,  General,  I  should  not  have  offered  it." 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  245 

God  grant  that  never  more  may  be 
Such  butchering  again. 

Old  Jonathan  stands  all  aghast, 

With  horror  in  his  eyes, 
As  stroke  on  stroke  is  dealt  so  fast,1 

And  piled  before  him  lies 
His  bleeding  sons  ;  he  gasps  for  breath, 

But  says  to  Grant,  "  Strike  on,  sir, 
My  boys  have  nobly  met  their  death, 

Thank  God  that  they  were  born,  sir !" 

And  Betsey  Jane,  whose  forow  the  pain 

Of  living  death  had  carved, 
Moaned  as  she  stooped  above  the  slain  : 

"  They  're  better  so  than  starved" 
And  Abram  drew  a  long,  long  breath, 

And  raised  his  drooping  head — 
"  At  last,  I  t.Tn'nV,  we  've  surely  come 

Out  of  the  woods,"  he  said. 

The  Devil  quick  recalled  his  imps, 

To  view  the  situation ; 
Said  he,  "  I  would  n't  have  them  miss 

This  chance  of  education." 
And  Grant,  he  strokes  his  dogs  of  war, 

All  grimly  doth  he  smile,  sir ; 
And  lights  another  fresh  cigar, 

And  up  the  James  meanwhile,  sir, 

He  sends  Ben  Butler  with  a  troop, 

Who  cautiously  doth  steam, 
And  lands  his  force  near  City  Point, 

But  Lee,  he  has  a  dream 

i  Battle  of  Spottsylvania,  May  10th.    Loss,  10,000  slain  on  each  side. 


246          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

That  Ben  at  Bichmond  has  a  squint. 

He  starts  when  Kautz  strikes  hard, 
And  cuts  in  two  at  Stony  Creek 

The  force  of  Beauregard. 

Then  Ben  sends  out  some  more  brigades,1 

This  doth  the  rebels  goad ; 
And  Beauregard,  ubiquitous, 

Comes  stalking  up  the  road, 
And  finding  there  the  little  force 

That  meddled  with  his  track, 
He  roars,  this  small  Napoleon, 

And  drives  the  raiders  back. 

Now,  Ben 's  a  persevering  man, 

Again  to  move  he  tries, 
So  Smith  and  Gilmore  northward  press 

And  open  wide  their  eyes, 
When  down  upon  them  Beauregard 

Exasperated  tramps, 
"With  such  momentum  when  he  strikes s 

He  drives  them  to  their  camps. 

(Just  here,  Old  Jonathan,  distressed 

At  news  from  New  Orleans ; s 
Asks  Abraham  if  he  can  tell 

What  that  confusion  means  ? 
That  Abe  has  quite  too  many  schemes 

He  has  some  strong  suspicions ; 
Too  many  irons  in  the  fire, 

Too  many  expeditions.) 


May  7th  and  9th.  »  May  16th. 

3  Red  River  Expedition. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         247 

He  says  to  Grant,  "  You  'd  better  spy 

The  nature  of  the  ground,  sir ; 
I  think  you  '11  need  right  now  to  tie 

The  loose  strings  lying  round,  sir, 
Tn  all  directions.     There 's  a  snarl 

Down  on  Bed  Eiver  floating, 
Where  Porter  doth  amuse  the  rebs 

With  his  new  style  of  boating." 

So  Grant  drew  out  his  telescope, 

And  pointed  it  southwest, 
"  All  right,"  said  he  to  Jonathan, 

"  Just  set  your  mind  at  rest, 
Tour  Porter  won't  be  drowned  this  time, 

He 's  resting  on  the  Banks,  sir ; 
There  is  a  chap  named  Bailey 1  there, 

Who  well  deserves  your  thanks,  sir. 

"  He  saved  your  fleet  by  building  dams, 

It 's  done  in  splendid  shape,  sir ; 
Your  army 's  safe,  let  Banks  alone 

For  getting  out  of  scrapes,  sir ; 
You  just  keep  quiet,  Jonathan, 

The  signs  are  looking  well, 
1'U,  fight  it  out  upon  this  line 

Though  it  should  take  a  spell." 

1  Lieutenant-Colonel  Bailey,  Fourth  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  who 
constructed  a  dam  to  raise  the  river  and  liberate  the  fleet.  The  pas 
sage  of  the  boats  was  completed  on  the  15th  of  May,  1864. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVII. 

Now,  Grant  had  buried  all  his  dead, 

And  started  in  the  night,1 
To  gain  North  Anna.     This,  he  said, 

If  all  his  plans  came  right, 
Would  cut  the  rebels  from  their  base, 

And  cause  a  falling  back  ; 
But  Lee  starts  first,  and  in  the  race 

He  takes  the  inside  track 

When  Grant  came  up  on  Monday  morn, 

With  many  a  dread  suspicion, 
He  found  the  knowing  rebs  had  won, 

And  Lee  was  in  position. 
Now  forward !  Birney  stops  to  fight, 

But  Griffin  pushes  o'er, 
While  rebel  works  on  either  side, 

Sweep  aH  along  the  shore. 

Hurra!  hurra!  Excelsior!5 

Bold  Birney  gains  the  ridge, 
And  Hancock  with  his  fighting  corps 

Is  down  upon  the  bridge. 

1  Starts  night  of  90th  May,  1864. 

2  Two  regiments  of  the  Excelsior  Brigade,  the  71st  and  72d  N.Y.V., 
first  reached  the  redan,  making  a  foothold  in  the  parapet  with  their 
muskets,  the  brave  fellows  clambered  up  and  pimultaneously  planted 
their  colors  on  the  rebel  stronghold. 

(248) 


THE  NEW  TANKER  DOODLE.          249 

So  fighting  here,  and  fighting  there, 

They  bear  the  starry  banner 
Across  the  stream,  to  find  the  rebs 

Intrenched  upon  South  Ann  a,. 

Alas !  for  Grant,  where'er  he  moved, 

A  stronghold  came  in  sight ; 
The  rebs  had  well  the  time  improved, 

Since  Mac  gave  them  a  fright. 
And  all  along  in  every  way, 

That  leads  to  Richmond  town, 
Redans,  and  pits,  and  batteries, 

Defiantly  did  frown. 

Said  Grant,  "  Lee  waits  for  me  to  send 

And  dash  against  his  works, 
The  strongest  yet.     I  don't  intend 

To  humor  all  his  quirks." 
So  quickly  he  withdrew  his  troops 

Unto  the  northern  bank,1 
And  moves  around  upon  the  left 

(His  usual  way  to  flank). 

He  orders  all  his  baggage  sent 

To  White  House.     "  Ah !"  said  Lee, 
"  Old  tricks  again — Grant  wants  to  try 

The  Chickahominy." 
Grant  pushes  boldly,  soldier-like, 

And  it  comes  out,  of  course, 
That  all  along  the  traveled  pike,5 

He  finds  the  rebs  in  force. 


i  Of  North  Anna,  leaving  the  27th  of  May, 
*  Mechanicsville  pike. 

11* 


250  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Said  Grant,  "  Cold  Harbor  I  must  have  ;" 

Said  Sheridan,  "I'll  take  it" 
Lee  felt  the  raider's  sudden  grasp, 

And  Hoke  went  out  to  shake  it 
The  blue-coats  fight  and  hold  their  ground 

Till  up  comes  General  Wright,1 
And  Smith  with  gallant  eighteenth  corps 

Tramps  bravely  into  sight 

They  've  traveled  up  from  City  Point,2 

They  do  not  stop  or  tarry  ; 
They  charge  across  the  field  of  death, 

The  rifle-pits  they  carry. 
Lee  does  n't  like  this  sort  of  work, 

He  sends  out  just  at  dark, 
And  all  along  the  Union  line 

He  makes  his  wicked  mark. 

But  still  the  "  boys  in  blue "  hold  out 

Till  General  Lee  has  learned 
'T  is  not  their  way,  by  any  means, 

To  give  up  what  they  've  earned. 
He  draws  his  battered  columns  off 

With  mingled  pride  and  sorrow, 
"  I  '11  try,"  said  he,  "  another  bout 

With  General  Grant  to-morrow." 

"  It 's  my  turn  now,"  says  General  Grant, 

As  o'er  the  field  he  glances. 
On  Friday  morn,3  at  four  o'clock, 

His  skirmish  lines  advances, 


1  Wright  came  up  on  the  afternoon  of  June  1st. 

2  This  corps  withdrawn  from  Butler  was  just  off  a  march  of  twenty- 
five  miles. 

»  June  8, 1S64. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         251 

He  flings  himself  with  all  his  might 

Against  the  rebs'  position, 
And  torn  and  bleeding  from  the  fight 

He  comes  to  this  decision — 

The  rebs  have  got  a  dreadful  blow 

If  this  is  the  reaction, 
I  think  I  '11  wait  until  I  know 

If  Lee  wants  satisfaction. 
He  had  n't  long  to  wait,  the  foe 

At  eight  o'clock  came  out, 
And  down  upon  the  veteran  left 

They  bore  with  frantic  shout. 

On— on — they  close  the  horrid  gaps, 

The  dark  mass  in  the  gloom,  sir, 
Unflinching  bears  itself  right  on, 

And  out  of  darkness  looms,  sir, 
Up  to  the  very  parapets 

Their  bearing  is  superb, 
But,  lo !  the  patriot  volunteers 

Their  desperate  valor  curb. 

Back  ebb  the  rebels — out  of  sight, 

Back  unto  General  Lee, 
Who  wonders  all  that  weary  night 

Whose  is  the  victory. 
At  least,  thought  he,  the  Yanks  have  lost 

Full  thirteen  thousand  lives, 
"  And  I — oh,  me ! — here  captain !  bring, 

The  moment  he  arrives, 

"  To  me  the  latest  scout  come  out 
From  General  Grant's  headquarters,1 

1  It  is  said  that  by  means  of  traitors  in  our  camps  every  order  of 
Grant  was  immediately  known  to  Lee. 


252          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  bid  my  Generals  ready  be 
To  move  their  guns  and  mortars." 

Now  Grant  had  looked  upon  the  field 
And  shudderingly  said, 

We  'd  better  take  a  little  time 
To  cover  up  our  dead. 

And  then  he  lighted  his  segar, 

And  smoked  a  day  or  two, 
(While  Sheridan  rode  wide,  and  far, 

And  cut  Lee's  railroads  through.) 
Grant  on  the  situation  mused, 

And  pros  and  cons  debated ; 
It  more  and  more  unpleasant  grew, 

The  more  he  meditated. 

"  Lee  runs  no  risk  at  all,"  he  said, 

"  Sometimes  he  fights  in  spasms, 
But  all  the  time  in  my  brave  ranks, 

I  'm  making  fearful  chasms ; 
1 11  fight  it  out  upon  this  line, 

Or  what  is  just  the  same,  sir, 
1 11  skew  my  line  to  meet  the  case, 

1 11  start  now  for  the  James,  sir.1 

"  Phil  Sheridan  will  Hunter  meet, 

And  thus  secure  the  Valley, 
And  cut  off  Lynchburg,  while  I  cross 

And  with  the  movement  tally. 
1 11  land  at  City  Point  where  Ben 

Has  got  a  base  for  me ; 
Then  what  can  stop  our  swinging  round 

The  stronghold  of  Bob  Lee  ?  " 

i  Crosses  the  James  on  the  14th  and  15th  of  June. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          253 

With  tireless  heart,  and  steady  tramp, 

The  "  blue  coats  "  made  their  way, 
From  City  Point  across  the  wood, 

But  oh !  they  found  the  "  gray  " 
Were  settled  down  in  Petersburg ; 

It  was  the  same  old  tale, 
A  "programme"  on  the  Union  side 

Did  never  much  avail 

Lee  smiled,  as  it  came  out  so  clear, 

Grant's  coup-de-main  was  blighted, 
And  Jonathan  began  to  fear, 

Somebody  was  short-sighted ; 
"Well,  well,"  growled  Grant,  "  Lee  knows  quite 

His  tactics  do  no  good ;  [well 

I  shall  prevail ;  I  thought  to  save 

Another  sea  of  blood. 

"  But  Lee  will  have  it ; "  so  there  comes 
.    Three  direful  bloody  days1 
Of  desperate  and  vain  assault, 

Till  Grant  the  carnage  stays ; 
Said  he,  "  This  knocking  at  his  gate, 

May  meet  Lee's  approbation, 
It  don't  meet  mine, — so  boys  we  11  wait 

And  try  siege  operation." 

1  From  15th  to  18th  of  June,  1864,  loss  in  four  days,  10,000. 


CHAPTEE   XXXVIII. 

EKE  Grant  had  borrowed  Mac's  old  spades, 

And  'neath  a  scorching  sun 
The  boys  went  digging  for  a  shade,1 

Old  Hunter  took  his  run 
Off  South  to  Staunton,  thence  still  down 

By  way  of  Lexington, 
To  take  a  peep  at  Lynchburg  town,2 

And  here  his  sport  was  done. 

For  in  the  place  a  vet'ran  corps, 

Just  hurried  there  by  Lee, 
Stood  waiting  right  behind  the  door, 

Old  Hunter  for  to  see. 
When  Hunter  spied  them  through  a  crack, 

All  fearful  was  his  ire, 
Cried  he  "  I  ammunition  lack, 

Woe 's  me,  I  must  retire." 

Chagrined  at  such  a  cruel  fate, 

His  wits  he  could  not  rally, 
But  started  for  Kanawha's  stream, 

And  left  exposed  the  Valley. 
Cried  Jubal  Early, — "  Here 's  my  chance, 

To  make  the  Yankees  stare, 
So,  down  the  Valley  1 11  advance, 

And  raise  the  *  annual  scare.' " 

i  Before  Petersburg.  2  On  the  16th  June,  Hunter  invested  Lynchburg. 
(254) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          255 

Quoth  Brecldnridge,  "I'll  go  along;" 

They  did  n't  stay  to  dally, 
But  off — full  twenty  thousand  strong, 

They  thundered  down  the  Valley ; 
Young  Sigel  felt  at  Martinsburg, 

The  ground  begin  to  quiver 
Beneath  their  tramp, — and  with  a  shrug, 

He  slipped  across  the  river. 

At  Willianisburg l  and  Point  of  Rocks, 

They  crossed  to  Hagerstown. 
Said  Early,  "  Now  the  way  is  clear 

To  win  us  great  renown." 
They  burned  up  bridges,  captured  trains, 

And  pockets  they  did  pick, 
Stole  shoes,  and  hats,  robbed  roosts  and  pens, 

Played  many  a  scurvy  trick. 

The  Marylanders  swore  the  foe 

Would  all  their  cities  sack, 
And  Bennett  of  the  Herald,  cried 

Most  piteously  for  Mac. 
But  Abram  wrote  to  Jonathan, 

"Who  started  a  town  meeting ; 
Through  all  the  streets  he  quickly  ran, 

And  set  the  drums  a-beating. 

And  extra  trains  he  loaded  up, 
Which  groaned  as  off  they  started, 

They  were  so  full ;  then  Jonathan, 
When  all  his  trains  departed, 

Went  to  the  cup-board  for  his  fife, 
(He  always  kept  it  handy,) 

>  July  3, 1864. 


256          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  whistled  out,  as  for  his  life, 
Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

Now,  Early  meets  the  volunteers, 

And  calls  them  "  Yankee  cattle ; " 
And  thinks  to  drive  them,  but  they  make 

Monocacy l  a  battle. 
A  yielding  mass,  these  minute  men, 

They  check  bold  Jubal's  speed, 
And  his  attack  on  Washington 

They  do  so  much  impede, 

That,  when  he  comes  up  to  the  forts, 

And  sees  the  spires  a-looming, 
The  old  Sixth  corps  the  town  supports, 

And  there  are  cannon  booming. 
Poor  Breckinridge !  within  his  gaze 

The  Capitol's  proud  dome, — 
He  sighs,  and  thinks  of  better  days, 

And  faces  towards  home. 

He  carries  off — fit  trophies  they, 

The  papers  of  Old  Blair,2 
And  Breckinridge  has  had  his  day, 

And  Stanton  his  last  scare. 
Wright  sallied  out  to  haste  the  route,3 

And  ended  speedily,4 
Bold  Jubal's  raid  he  fain  had  made 

Turn  out  a  jubilee. 

But  Early  was  not  satisfied ; 
Quoth  he,  "  I  don't  design 

1  Battle  of  Monocacy  July  8, 1864. 

s  Breckinridge  made  his  quarters  at  Blair's  house  on  the  Seventh 
street  road,  a  few  miles  from  the  city. 
»  July  12, 1864.    Rebels  driven  from  Fort  Stevens.     • 
4  Haiders  cross  into  Virginia  with  their  plunder,  July  13. 


THE  NEW    YANKEE  DOODLE.         257 

To  quit  the  vale,  ere  North  I  ride, 

And  vengeance  dire  be  mine." 
He  strikes  at  Averill  and  Crook,1 

And  hurls  them  o'er  the  ferry ; 
And  sends  McCausland  o'er  the  brook, 

Who  makes  himself  so  merry 

With  honest  folks  at  Chambersburg,2 

"  They  cry  out  bitterly ;" 
Growls  Grant,  "We  're  getting  in  a  snarl, 

We  'd  better  go  and  see 
What  now  is  wrong  ;  't  won't  do,  my  Phil, 

To  let  the  rebels  sally 
Across  the  river  at  their  will — 

Ton  just  clean  out  the  Valley" 

While  Phil  makes  ready  we  may  now 

Reverse  the  steam  of  time, 
And  start  our  locomotive  back, 

And  hi  another  clime 
Just  glance  at  traitors  and  their  sport ; 

The  story  comes  in  handy, 
How  rebels  at  a  foreign  port 

Thrashed  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

July  24, 1864 

He  burned  the  town,  July  30, 18G4. 


CHAPTEE    XXXIX. 

WHILE  Grant  was  sitting  down  to  rest, 

The  nineteenth  day  of  June, 
That  Sunday  morning,  at  Cherbourg, 

An  old  familiar  tune 
Is  whistled  on  the  quarter-deck 

Of  Uncle  Sam's  Kearsarge; 
Whence  Winslow  gazes  on  the  bay 

Where  many  a  Frenchman's  barge 

And  yacht  and  boat  expectant  lie 

To  view  the  coming  fight  ;J 
And  yonder  in  brave  Winslow's  eye, 

With  traitor  flag  in  sight, 
The  Alabama  slowly  drifts — 

Hark !  how  the  Johnnies  shout, 
And  cheer  the  pirate  as  she  shifts, 

And  past  the  mole  moves  out. 

"  God  speed  the  rebel !"  with  the  bell 

That  Sunday  morning  tolled ; 
The  blessing  of  the  Frenchman  fell 

And  o'er  the  waters  rolled 
To  Winslow,  on  the  quarter-deck, 

Who  strove  with  sudden  pain 

1  Trains  came  down  from  Paris  bringing  excursion  parties  to  see 
(253) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  259 

To  catch  one  blessing  on  his  flag, 
But  listened  all  in  vain. 

The  solitary  Kearsarge  waits 

The  Alabama's  motion, 
Who  with  her  consorts  from  the  bay 

Steams  out  upon  the  ocean. 
"  Now,  then,"  said  Winslow,  "  out  to  sea ! 

'Tis  plainly  my  conviction 
That  Uncle  Sam  had  better  be 

Beyond  French  jurisdiction." 

The  Alabama  follows  fast, 

The  Kearsarge  turns  about ; 
She 's  free  to  strike  the  foe  at  last ; 

No  wonder  that  they  shout, 
Those  gallant  tars,  whose  starry  flag 

Lifts  proudly  to  the  breeze  ; 
And  Winslow  smiles,  as  on  his  bow 

The  pirate  bold  he  sees. 

He  '11  run  her  down ;  no,  off  she  sheers, 

Her  starboard  guns  awake  ; 
With  quick,  sharp  puffs,  and  dull  reports, 

The  Sunday  silence  breaks. 
The  shot  above  the  Kearsarge  speeds, 

And  through  the  rigging  tears  ; 
There 's  no  reply.     The  ship  moves  on — 

Down  on  the  pirate  bears. 

Another  broadside ;  still  again 

The  rebel  challenge  flies 
Across  the  wave,  and  Winslow  speaks, 

Defiantly  replies ; 


260          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Till  Crapeau,  gazing  from  the  piers, 

Is  startled  at  the  thunder ; 
And  for  his  darling  pirate  fears, 

And  then  begins  to  wonder 

"What  sort  of  guns  the  Yankee  bears, 

The  contest  looks  unequal ; 
Perhaps  their  Sunday  sport  may  prove 

Unpleasant  in  the  sequel. 
Then  Crapeau  sighs  and  rubs  his  eyes, 

And  then  his  telescopes  ; 
And  prays  the  Virgin  to  devise 

A  way  to  bless  his  hopes. 

Still  round  and  round  the  two  ships  whirl, 

And  Winslow's  guns  are  playing 
Eight  through  the  Alabama's  hull, 

In  spite  of  Crapeau's  praying. 
A  few  more  blows  and  Crapeau  knows 

His  hope  will  be  a  wreck ; 
Ah !  ha !  Semmes  throws  a  Blakeley  shell 

On  Winslow's  quarter-deck. 

Three  men  beside  the  pivot-gun 

Are  wounded  by  the  shell ; 
"  All  right !  since  we  are  whipping  her," 

Cried  GOWAN  as  he  fell. 
They  bore  the  seaman  down  below, 

But  ever  through  the  strife 
He  cheered  at  every  telling  blow, 

And  smiled  away  his  life. 

"  Don't  hurry,  lads,  take  steady  aim, 
And  point  the  heavy  guns 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         261 

Below  the  water-line ;  the  decks 

Sweep  with  the  lighter  ones," 
Said  Winslow,  as  the  rebel  shot 

Went  screaming  over  head. 
"The  Alabama  hitteth  not," 

The  Johnnie  Crapeau  said. 

The  Alabama's  decks  are  wet, 

Blood  every  plank  o'erwhelnas,  sir ; 
Huge  gaps  are  yawning  in  her  hull, 

She  does  not  mind  her  helm,  sir. 
The  pirate  quickly  crowds  all  sail, 

Semmes  does  n't  want  to  drown, 
The  Crapeaux  on  the  shore  turn  pale, 

The  ship  is  going  down. 

Down  falls  the  bloody  rebel  rag, 

The  rebel  pirates  bow 
To  Yankee  flag ; — an  instant  more, 

The  doomed  ship  lifts  her  prow, 
Her  mainmast  with  the  effort  breaks, 

Her  battered  stanchions  sever, 
And  with  a  lurch  her  way  she  takes 

Down  out  of  sight  forever. 

"  Quick !  man  the  boats,"  brave  Winslow  cries, 

"  Pick  up  the  drowning  crew ;" 
The  pirate's  consort  Winslow  spies, — 

"  Your  best  for  God's  sake  do," 
He  shouts,  "  to  save  the  sinking  men !" 

The  Deerhound  picks  up  Semmes, 
And  takes  him  straight  to  Johnny  Bull, 

Who  Winslow's  course  condemns ; 


262          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  smooths  down  Raphael's  ruffled  pride, 

And  buys  him  some  dry  clothes,  sir, 
And  gives  him  a  new  sword  beside, 

And  then  quite  plainly  shows,  sir, 
The  Kearsarge  was  a  bigger  ship, 

She  was  an  iron-clad,1 
And  carried  monstrous  guns ;  in  fact, 

Semmes'  case  was  not  so  bad. 

His  ship  was  lost,  but  he  was  free, 

And  John  could  build  a  faster ; 
And  soon  again  upon  the  sea 

He  'd  be  the  Yankee's  master. 
So  Semmes  he  smiled — why  not  ?  and  grew 

So  very  fat  and  hearty, 
For  Johnny  Bull  each  day  or  two 

Gave  him  a  dinner  party. 

1  Winslow  had  thrown  some  spare  chains  over  the  side  of  his  ship, 
and  covered  them  with  planks. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

" RICHMOND  was  placid"  rebels  said, 

Although  't  was  strongly  hinted, 
That  even  at  this  fountain-head 

Of  treason,  news  was  stinted. 
Jeff  might  be  posted — as  to  that 

The  press  could  only  say, 
The  little  scraps  that  it  could  glean 

Came  in  a  curious  way 

From  Yankee  papers,  and,  of  course, 

"Were  not  to  be  believed ; 
One  thing  was  certain  on  that  point, 

The  town  might  feel  relieved, 
For  Richmond  never  would  be  reached 

By  Yankee  shot  or  shell, 
Her  strongholds  never  would  be  breached, 

Whatever  else  befeL 

"  Richmond  was  placid."    No  news  yet ; 

'T  is  true,  "  the  wires  were  broken," 
Such  accidents  would  happen — this 

No  evil  could  betoken. 
The  dearth  of  news  was  really  strange, 

No  rumor  of  advances 
Or  falling  back,  but  now  and  then 

A  train  of  ambulances 

(263) 


264          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Would  rumble  up  the  quiet  streets ; 

And  soldiers,  bruised  and  bleeding, 
Gasped  stories  of  a  mortal  strife, 

Of  men  swept  down  while  leading 
The  desperate  charge ;  of  stubborn  fight ; 

Of  blood  in  rivers  flowing ; 
Of  cannon,  with  resistless  might, 

Great  swaths  of  Yankees  mowing. 

And  then  the  press,  in  largest  type, 

Would  print,  "  FROM  GENEBAL  LEE  !" 
And  herald  with  a  trumpet  tone 

"  Another  victory  !" 
Still,  still  they  came,  those  mournful  trains, 

Came  early  and  came  late ; 
The  press,  amazed,  hi  rebel  strains 

Began  to  speculate. 

That  butcher  Grant  was  hard  at  work, 

'T  was  very  plain  to  see ; 
In  fact,  was  butting  out  his  brains l 

Against  their  General  Lee. 
'T  was  just  as  well ;  it  was  agreed 

The  war  this  year  must  cease, 
One  way  or  other — as  for  them, 

They  always  did  want  peace. 

The  North  was  frightened  at  the  blood 
Their  butcher  Grant  was  shedding ; 

The  cry  for  peace  rolled  like  a  flood. 
And  everywhere  was  spreading. 

One  way  or  other  war  must  end, 
Their  course  none  should  condemn, 

Richmond  Whig,  July  21st. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         265 

Whate'er  the  North  might  choose  to  do, 
One  way  was  left  to  them, — 

And  one  alone.     Though  Lee  should  fail 

To  stand  before  Grant's  fire, 
Though  his  brave  host  should  not  prevail, 

And  Lee  himself  retire, 
"Why,  Beauregard  was  left ;  their  lines 

Were  manifold  and  strong, 
The  siege  would  Saragossa  be, 

Or,  Deny !    'T  would  be  long 

Ere  vulgar  Yankee  foot  should  rest 

On  soil  more  sacred  now ; 
The  laurels  Grant  won  in  the  West 

Were  withering  on  his  brow ; 
That 't  was  n't  Pemberton  or  Bragg, 

With  whom  he  had  to  deal, 
But  Robert  Lee — the  difference 

He  bitterly  would  feel. 

And  then  the  Drury  Bluff  affair 

(It  seemed  the  wires  were  mended) 
Was  noised,  and  it  appeared  their  joy 

Would  never  more  be  ended. 
They  cheered  and  shouted ;  true,  some  guessed 

The  serious  loss  they  'd  met, 
But  then — "One  must,"  said  they,  "  break  eggs 

To  make  an  omelette." J 

Then  came  the  Kenesaw's  sad  fight, 

And  Richmond  was  ecstatic ; 
And  placid  rebels  in  its  light 

Grew  all  at  once  emphatic. 

1  Richmond  Examiner. 
1  o 

i  a 


266          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  "  wires  were  up  "  for  several  days, 
All  through  bold  Early's  raid, 

"Which  would  have  captured  Washington 
Had  Canby  but  delayed.1 

1  Nineteenth  Corps,  which  had  just  arrived  from  the  Gulf. 


CHAPTEE    XLI. 

"  T  WAS  placid,"  too,  in  Canada,1 

Where  Mr.  Horace  Greeley, 
With  rebel  Saunders,  and  the  like, 

Expressed  himself  quite  freely ; 
They  talked  and  talked,  till  even  Abe 

They  managed  to  beslaver, 
And  Jeff  himself  turned  up  his  nose 

At  such  a  peace  palaver. 

'Twas  "  placid  "  time  at  Petersburg s 

All  through  the  hot  July, 
Till  at  its  close,  one  early  morn, 

Beneath  a  dim  gray  sky, 
Secure,  within  their  fort  so  strong, 

Lee's  rebel  soldiers  sleep, 
While  o'er  th'  unconscious  garrison 

The  guard  its  vigils  keep. 

Deep  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth 

There  darts  a  blazing  line, 
A  serpent  hissing  from  its  birth, 

For  Grant  has  sprung  his  mine  ; 
A  quiver !  as  the  ground  doth  quake, 

The  guards — one  startled  breath, 

i  July  ISth,  1804.    See  page  301,  McPherson's  History  of  the  Rebel 
lion. 
3  July  30th,  1S64. 


268          TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  sleepers  for  an  instant  wake, 
And  then — a  crashing  death ! 

Oh,  horrors !  is  this  crater  hell  ? 

Dead,  dying,  living  men, 
Shrieking,  fighting,  burning !  well 

May  we  let  fall  the  pen. 
Well  may  the  stormers  of  Grim  Grant, 

By  untold  woe  surrounded, 
Eight  in  the  awful  chasm  halt 

Affrighted  and  confounded. 

Pushed  on  they  huddle  in  the  gap ; 

The  rebels  are  surprised, 
But  Grant's  bold  storming  party  is 

Completely  paralyzed. 
Now  guns  to  right,  and  guns  to  left, 

And  cannon  straight  before 
Sweep — like  a  quick  tornado  blast, 

Into  the  chasm  pour. 

How  any  came  out  thence  alive, 

Will  ever  be  a  wonder, 
As  well  as  whom  to  saddle  with 

So  horrible  a  blunder. 
It  did  seem  that  the  soldiers'  lives, 

Quite  soon  enough  were  spent, 
Without  the  wholesale  butchery 

Of  this  experiment. 

"  'T  was  placid,"  too,  in  Mobile  Bay, 
'T  was  so,  the  rebels  stated, 

Where  Farragut,  full  many  a  day, 
For  iron  clads  had  waited. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         269 

But  on  one  hazy  August  morn, 

Placidity  was  broken, 
The  drum  on  board  the  flag  ship  beat, 

And  Farragut  had  spoken ! 

But  what  he  said,  and  what  he  did, 

We  will  not  try  to  show  it, 
The  theme  so  glorious  we  leave 

Unto  a  nobler  poet. 
Perhaps  in  time  there  may  be  born 

A  soul  by  inspiration 
Made  worthy  to  depict  in  song 

The  glory  of  this  nation. 

A  note  from  Gideon  Welles  to  Abe 

Came,  in  few  words,  to  say 
That  Farragut  had  anchors  dropped  • 

At  last  in  Mobile  bay.1 
He  said  he  had  a  toughish  time 

In  running  by  the  forts 
And  rebel  rams,  as  Abe  would  see 

By  reading  his  reports. 

He  said  "  The  iron-clads  were  slow 

In  getting  into  line ; 
They  did  n't  act  like  wooden  hulls, 

But  then  their  crews  were  fine. 
The  Winnebago's  turret  was 

A  little  out  of  gear, 
It  wouldn't  turn,  and  then  the  boat 

Was  difficult  to  steer. 

His  gallant  gunners  he  had  seen, 
When  shot  and  shell  were  thick, 

i  August  5, 1864. 


270          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Unflinching,  though  their  hearts  he  knew 

Were  like  his  own  heart,  sick 
At  sight  of  shipmates  struck  with  death 

And  decks  all  wet  with  blood. 
He  saw  it  dl,  with  bated  breath, 

He  in  the  rigging  stood. 

He  mentioned  the  Tecumseh's  fate, 

"  Torpedo  struck,"  then  said, 
"  The  Hartford's  loss  was  very  great, 

She  was  the  ship  that  led" 
A  few  more  words  about  the  fight, 

"  In  close  proximity," 
The  ships  had  with  the  monster  ram 

They  called  the  Tennessee. 

How  wooden  hulls  and  iron  hearts1 

Did  once  again  prevail 
'Gainst  traitor  souls,  girt  round  about 

With  stoutest  coat  of  mail ; 
And  how  the  little  Monitors 

Helped  on  the  consummation, 
And  brought  the  white  flag  on,  "  The  pride 

Of  the  Confederation." 

"  The  wires  were  down"  in  rebeldom — 

'Twas  long  before  they  knew 
From  Yankee  papers  of  this  fight, 

And  then  "  it  was  n't  true." 
The  press  implored  its  countrymen 

For  such  lies  not  to  fret ; 
"  'T  was  past  belief,"  that  being  so, 

They  do  n't  believe  it  yet ! 

1  From  the  moment  the  Hartford  struck  the  Tennessee  she  never 
fired  a  gun. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          271 

There  was  another  rebel  ram 

"Which  also  came  to  grief 
By  daring  deed,  (of  many  such 

Perhaps  this  was  the  chief.) 
The  Albemarle  at  Plymouth  lay, 

Full  eight  miles  up  the  stream, 
With  pickets  all  along  the  way, 

Yet  up  did  Gushing  steam. 

Up,  up,  in  silence,  in  the  dark,1 

And  his  torpedo  boom 
He  drove  beneath  the  monster's  ribs 

And  sent  her  to  her  doom. 
With  thirteen  men  his  boat  went  up, 

Two  only  did  come  down  ; 
The  rest — they  won  a  sailor's  grave, 

But  Gushing  won  renown. 

'  October  6, 1864. 


CHAPT"EK    XLII. 

AND  Washington  was  "  placid,"  though 

A  miserable  faction 
Had  brought  the  bleeding  country  to 

What  they  called  a  "reaction." 
The  war  had  failed,  they  wanted  peace, 

Abe  had  no  policy ; 
Each  day's  events  did  but  increase 

His  incapacity. 

Infirm  of  purpose,  and  stiff-necked, 

The  nation  understood 
At  last  that  Abraham  was  wrecked 

Upon  his  sea  of  blood. 
Election  time  was  close  at  hand, 

Lincoln  repudiated ; 
They  'd  put  a  true  man  on  the  stand, 

So  Mac  they  nominated. 

They  made  a  platform  stout,  not  new, 

Without  a  single  crack ; 
And  on  it,  with  conventional  glee, 

They  fastened  little  Mac. 
They  stuck  beside  him  Pendleton — 

A  curious  grouping,  rather ; 
Not  all  the  glue  in  Christendom 

Could  make  them  stick  together. 

(272) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  273 

For  Pendleton  was  all  for  peace ; 
"  So  far,  so  good,"  they  said,  sir ; 

For  certainly  he  'd  get  a  vote 
From  every  copperhead,  sir. 

Then  Little  Mac  thought  well  of  war- 
Good  in  itself  again — 

War  democrats  would  vote  for  him, 
But  still  it  was  n't  plain 

How  they  could  steer  their  ship  of  state, 

Although  a  double  ender, 
Both  ways  at  once  ;  just  here  the  rebs 

Did -signal  service  render, 
For  Stephens,  with  the  best  intent, 

Did  prove  it  clear  as  glass, 
If  Mac  was  chosen  President 

How  it  would  come  to  pass 

That  they,  the  rebs,  could  slip  with  ease 

From  their  platform  to  Mac's,  sir, 
Or  he  to  theirs  ;  the  war  would  cease ; 

For  why,  they  both  would  lack,  sir, 
The  casus  belli  ;  Mac's  platform 

Was  made  of  their  old  planks,  sir, 
Would  hold  all  rebeldom  ;  for  which 

He  gave  most  hearty  thanks,  sir. 

Whatever  Mac  himself  might  be, 

The  platform  was  the  thing 
That  never  would  coerce  a  State, 

And  so,  of  course,  't  would  bring 
Their  independence.     Mac  in  power, 

'T  was  just  the  same  as  granted ; 
State  sovereignty  was  recognized, 

And  that  was  all  they  wanted. ' 

Extracts  from  Stephens'  letter  to  T.  J.  Semmes,  Nov.  5, 1864. 

12* 


274  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

As  for  McClellan's  sentiments, 

As  written  in  his  letter, 
About  the  Union  as  it  was, 

Why,  every  reb  knew  better 
Than  for  an  instant  to  believe 

In  such  a  repetition ; 
The  moment  Mac  tried  that 't  would  bring 

Them  foreign  recognition.1 

So  (Stephens  said)  in  every  view 

He  took  of  Mac's  election, 
He  felt  the  South  had  much  to  lose 

In  case  of  his  rejection. 
The  action  of  Chicago  was, 

In  all  their  weary  night, 
To  them,  the  rebels,  and  their  cause, 

"  The  first  ray  of  real  light." 2 

When  Jonathan  read  Stephens'  views, 

"  Well,  now,"  said  he,  "  that's  nice ! 
I  'd  like  to  give  the  democrats 

A  little  sound  advice. 
They  want  to  save  the  country,  eh ! 

They  'd  come  in  at  the  end 
And  steal  the  credit  from  old  Abe — 

Well,  now,  I  do  n't  intend 


1  "  Just  as  soon  as  McClellan  should  renew  the  war,  with  a  view  to 
restore  the  Union,  the  old  Constitution  with  slavery,  etc.,  etc.,  would 
England,  France  and  other  European  Powers  throw  all  their  moral 
power  and  influence  of  their  recognition  on  our  side." 

*  Another  extract  from  Stephens'  letter  to  Semmes,  Nov.  5, 1864 : 
"  So  in  any  and  every  view  I  can  take  of  the  subject,  I  regard  the  elec 
tion  of  McClellan,  and  the  success  of  the  States  Right  party  of  Ltie 
North,  whose  nominee  he  is,  of  the  utmost  importance  to  us.  With 
these  views,  you  will  readily  perceive  how  I  regarded  the  action  of 
the  Chicago  Convention  as  a  ray  of  light,  the  first  ray  of  real  light  I 
had  seen  from  the  North  since  this  war  began." 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  275 

"  To  hold  my  tongue  in  all  this  noise, 

While  treason  works  its  way ;  ' 
I  think  that  I  and  my  brave  boys 

Have  got  a  word  to  say. 
Out  of  my  way"  cried  Jonathan ; 

His  grown  up  boys,  still  bolder, 
Brushed  quick  the  carping  crowd  aside 

And  took  Abe  on  their  shoulder. 

They  bore  him  straight  through  thick  and  thin 

Bight  through  the  White  House  gate, 
Inside  the  door,  and  set  him  in 

The  same  old  chair  of  state.1 
" Now  you  stay  there"  said  Jonathan ; 

"  The  day  is  almost  won,  sir ; 
Keep  hold  of  hands,  I'll  stand  by  you 

Until  the  job  is  done,  sir." 

Abe  said  "  There  were  much  better  men, 

But  still  it  didn't  seem 
The  wisest  course  to  swap  one's  horse 

While  crossing  o'er  a  stream, 
And  so  he  'd  do  his  best  to  bear 

The  burden  the  meanwhile." 
Then  settled  'neath  his  load  of  care 

And  smiled  a  weary  smile. 

Quoth  Jonathan,  "  Old  Abe  is  apt 

To  be  a  little  tender ; 
The  nation  needs  some  sterner  stuff — 

Some  iron-clad  defender. 
Then  Jonathan  he  looked  about — 

He  spied  our  valiant  "  Andy" — 9 

1  November  8, 1864,  President  Lincoln  re  elected. 
*  Andrew  Johnson  elected  Vice-President. 


276          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  The  very  man,"  said  he,  "  to  stand 
By  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

Then  Jonathan  turned  straight  to  Grant, 

"  Now  try  the  soldier's  mettle," 
He  said,  "  the  new  year 's  coming  on, 

And  my  accounts  to  settle. 
1 11  have  to  square  with  Johnny  Bull, 

"Who  all  a-roaring  stands ; 
But  I  can't  take  another  job 

Till  this  is  off  my  hands." 

Now  Jonathan  that  very  day 

Had  stopped  at  Seward's  door ; 
And  Seward  made  the  old  man  stay 

To  hear  John  Bull's  last  roar. 
A  certain  lord,  Wharneliffe  by  name, 

(Perhaps  he  knew  no  better,) 
Had  written  Adams ;'  so  it  came 

That  Seward  got  the  letter.1 

'  Twas  all  about  a  big  bazaar 

Just  held  at  Liverpool 
To  aid  the  rebs,  and  WharncKffe,  so 

Impertinently  cool, 
Proposed  to  send  an  agent  out 

With  lots  of  British  gold* 
To  rebel  prisoners,  who,  he  feared, 

Were  suffering  with  the  cold. 

Old  Jonathan  at  this  breathed  quick, 

But  not  a  word  spoke  he, 
He  grasped  instinctively  his  stick 

Of  stout  old  hickory ; 

?  Under  date  of  November  12, 1864.  2  £17,000  sterling. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          277 

Then  thought  of  Libby,  and  Belle  Me, 

And  then  of  Betsey  Jane, 
'Till  his  fierce  anger  settled  down 

Into  a  leaden  pain. 

.  r 
Of  course  the  agent  did  n't  come, 

For  Seward  boldly  vowed 
This  insult  to  Old  Jonathan 

Could  never  be  allowed,1 
So  Wharncliffe  (for  humanity 

So  deeply  interested) 
Found  "  ways  circuitous"  in  which 

His  guineas  he  invested. 

But  Jonathan  was  hurt,  he  said, 

That  Abe  had  been  so  "set" 
On  treating  well  his  prisoners ; 

He  never  could  forget 
This  studied  insult ;  he  would  show 

John  Bull,  when  it  came  handy, 
There  was  a  small  account  to  square 

With  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 

i  See  page  460  McPherson's  History  of  the  Rebellion. 


CHAPTEE   XLIII. 

Now  Sheridan  had  been  at  work, 

And  all  along  the  border 
"  Had  straightened  things,"  that  is  to  say, 

Confusion  brought  to  order : 
Now  here,  now  there,  he  ever  kept 

Bold  Early  in  his  sight, 
But  Grant  still  held  the  reins,  and  Phil 

Was  "  spoiling  for  a  fight." 

"  Now,  Phil,"  said  Grant,  "  why  risk  a  match  ? 

'Twould  be  a  sad  diversion 
If  you  were  whipped,  for  then  we  'd  catch 

Another  reb  incursion." 
"  Pooh !  whipped,  indeed ! "  cried  Little  Phi1 

"  That  old  scare  of  invasion, 
I  promise  you  my  soldiers  will 

Soon  cure  that  inclination." 

"  Well  then,"  said  Grant,  "  go  in,  my  boy ! 

On  Monday  morn." — "  All  right,  sir," 
Said  Sheridan,  and  with  his  troops 

Was  off  before  daylight,  sir ; 
Straight  for  the  Opequan  he  aimed, 

Where  well  he  estimated 
Bold  Jubal  and  his  traitor  clan 

Down  at  the  crossing  waited. 

(276) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          279 

He  fell  upon  them  like  a  blast ! l 

Unto  their  shot  replied 
So  fiercely,  it  fell  out  at  last 

That  Jubal,  stupefied 
At  such  outrageous  style  of  fight, 

Gave  up  his  useless  trying, 
And  found  himself,  with  all  his  might, 

Through  Winchester  a-flying. 

He  did  not  stop  for  thirty  miles 

Beyond  that  noted  town, 
And  when  he  added  up  his  loss, 

Ten  thousand  were  set  down. 
Then  Jubal  felt  his  prestige  ebb, 

Hia  men  he  could  not  rally. 
And  this  is  how  Phil  sent  the  rebs 

"  A-whirling  up  the  Valley." 

Quoth  Phil,  "  These  troopers  will  be  back, 

Its  just  as  well  to  know  a 
Little  more  about  their  track 

Across  the  Shenandoah." 
He  found  the  Valley  rich  with  grain, 

"  This  is  a  tempting  bait,  sir," 
Said  he,  "  the  rebs  will  come  again, 

Unless  I  devastate,  sir." 

Now  Phil,  whate'er  he  undertook, 

'T  was  plain  enough  to  see, 
That  he  was  bound  by  hook  or  crook, 

To  do  it  thoroughly. 
So  Phil  he  rode,  with  torch  and  blade, 

All  up  and  down  rode  he  : 

1  September  19, 1864,  Battle  of  Winchester. 


280          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And — oh !  the  wilderness  he  made 
Was  pitiful  to  see. 

Then  down  he  camped  at  Cedar  Bun, 

He  thought  the  rebs  were  " settled" 
But  it  came  out  that  Jefferson 

"Was  only  sorely  nettled. 
He  sent  to  Early,  Longstreet's  corps, 

To  turn  his  fibbing  tide, 
And  out  to  crush  Phil  Sheridan 

Did  General  Longstreet  ride. 

He  quickly  slipped  the  mountain  o'er 

And  crossed  the  little  stream, 
Hid  by  the  darkness  and  the  fog, 

Before  the  sun  did  gleam  ; 
And  down  upon  Phil's  sleeping  lines, 

With  an  unearthly  yell, 
In  Phil's  own  style  and  quality, 

The  rebel  columns  fell.1 

They  seized  and  turned  whole  batteries, 

They  raised  the  victor's  shout ; 
Confusion  spread — the  troops  gave  way- 

In  parts,  it  was  a  rout 
Phil  Sheridan,  at  Winchester, 

('Tis  twenty  miles  across,) 
Doth  catch  an  echo  of  the  guns, 

He  springs  upon  his  horse. 

He  hears  the  distant  cannon  boom, 
He  doth  his  brave  steed  goad, 

And  with  a  glimmer  of  the  truth 
Tears  madly  o'er  the  road; 

1  Battle  of  Cedar  Creek,  October  19. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  28J 

Mole  after  mile  annihilates 

In  his  immortal  ride  ! 
He  plunges  in  the  sea  of  men 

And  turns  the  backward  tide. 

"  Now  face  the  other  way,  my  boys ! 

You  're  running  off  the  track ; " 
He  shouts  above  the  battle's  noise, 

"  Hurrah !  we  're  going  back ! " 
He  swings  his  cap  above  his  head, 

His  face  is  all  a-blaze, 
The  stragglers  in  astonishment 

Stop  in  their  flight  to  gaze. 

"  Face  about !  face  about !  hurrah ! 

Face  the  other  way, 
We  're  going  back,  boys,  to  our  camps, 

We're  going  back  I  I  say. 
This  never  would  have  happened,  boys, 

Had  I  been  only  here, 
Hurrah ! !  hurrah ! ! " — retreat  is  stopped, 

Up  rolls  a  deafening  cheer ! 

They  rally  as  the  cry  goes  on, 

"  Phil  Sheridan  has  come ! ! " 
"  We  're  going  to  get  a  twist  on  them, 

We  11  drive  the  rebels  home ; " 
"  We  '11  shake  them  from  their  boots,  boys, 

Before  the  day  is  done,  sirs ; " 
"  We  're  going  back,  boys,  to  our  camps, 

We  '11  have  back  all  those  guns,  sirs." 

The  rebel  host  across  the  field 
On  Emory  bear  down ; 


282  TEE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Hurrah !  the  Yanks  no  longer  yield, 

The  rebels  back  are  thrown. 
" That 's  good,"  cries  Phil ;  "  thank  God  for  that, 

We  '11  show  them  what  we  mean, 
We  '11  get  the  tightest  twist  on  them 

That  ever  yet  was  seen." 

Now  Early  sees  that  Phil 's  at  home, 

He  falls  back,  takes  the  spade ; 
He  thinks  that  Sheridan's  assault, 

Of  course  will  be  delayed 
Until  his  hungry  men  are  fed ; 

His  ranks  demoralized 
Must  be  recruited,  or,  he  said, 

Must  be  reorganized. 

Not  so,  " Eight  now,  and  here"  says  Phil, 

"  We  11  wipe  out  our  defeat." 
By  three  o'clock  his  solid  ranks 

Go  out  the' foe  to  meet 
With  steady  tramp ;  an  instant  more, 

The  firm  advance  is  spent ; 
A  volley !  then  the  huge  guns  roar, 

The  steady  lines  are  rent. 

They  waver ;  at  the  sickening  sight 

Where  most  the  thick  shot  crush 
Among  the  broken  ranks,  doth  Phil, 

Aroused  to  frenzy,  rush. 
"  Why,  boys !  those  cannon  are  our  own, 

Charge !  charge !"    The  crest,  the  wood, 
The  breastworks,  but  half  done,  they  gain ; 

"  So  much,"  cries  Phil,  "  is  good. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          283 

"  Still  forward,  boys !"    Phil's  eyes  flash  fire, 

His  voice,  a  bugle  blast ! 
On  through  the  thicket,  o'er  the  ridge, 

They  chase  the  foe  at  last. 
Back  through  the  blue-coats'  pillaged  camps, 

Back  dash  the  rebs  pell  mell ; 
They're  off  for  Jefferson's  last  ditch — 

For  aught  that  I  can  tell ! 

Through  Staunton  to  the  mountain  ridge 

They  scatter  through  the  gaps ; 
And  Sheridan  trots  home  again 

To  get  his  shoulder-straps.1 
And  Jubal ! — well !  he  will  survive 

This  last  humiliation, 
And  die  rejoiced  he  leaves  alive 

The  glorious  Yankee  nation. 

1  Sheridan  was  made  Major-General  for  Ms  gallantry  on  this  occa 
sion. 


CHAPTEE   XLIV. 

THE  rebs  at  Petersburg  had  filled 

The  crater,  and  the  mine 
Slipped  into  history,  while  Grant 

Was  strengthening  his  line. 
Attacking  here,  and  feinting  there, 

His  aim  at  length  he  showed 
By  camping  down,  right  fair  and  square, 

Upon  the  Weldon  road.1 

But  Lee  objected  to  the  plan, 

So  down  on  Reams'  Station 2 
He  dashed  against  the  Second  Corps 

In  wild  exasperation. 
The  shock  was  great,  so  great,  indeed, 

As  history  is  true ; 
Lee  from  the  meeting  did  recede 

And  Hancock  fell  back  too.3 

The  rebs  went  back  to  Petersburg 

Within  a  mile  or  so, 
And  sent  out  troopers  in  Grant's  rear, 

Which  rapidly  did  go 
To  Coggin's  Point ;— surprised  the  guard, 

And  in  a  bloodless  battle, 


»  August  19th.  z  August  25th. 

3  At  nightfall  Hancock  withdrew  hie  force,  the  enemy  moving  away 
at  the  same  time  (Page  391  "  Grant  and  his  Campaigns.") 
(-284) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.        285 

They  captured  some  three  thousand  head 
Of  splendid  Yankee  cattle.1 

Eefreshed  with  extra  rations  then, 

They  grew  so  vigilant 
They  guessed  and  counteracted  all 

The  movements  of  Grim  Grant, 
Till  tired  out  with  dragging  deep 

Through  mud  their  guns  and  mortars, 
Both  armies,  though  awake  they  keep, 

They  wink  at  winter  quarters. 

Grant  built  himself  a  wooden  hut, 

At  City  Point  located ; 
And  Butler — while  for  his  canal 2 

He  confidently  waited — 
Got  up  a  new  experiment 3 

To  test  the  strength  of  powder ; 
'T  was  safer  than  the  July  mine, 

Though  its  report  was  louder. 

But  no  committee  has,  as  yet, 

The  problem  undertaken — 
To  prove  how  much  Fort  Fisher  was 

By  its  concussion  shaken ; 4 
We  simply  know  the  fleet  itself, 

To  Grant's  dissatisfaction, 
To  Hampton  Roads,  by  quickest  route, 

Was  blown  by  its  reaction.     ,.;.,. 

Now,  what  was  right  and  what  was  wrong, 
There  were  enough  to  say  ; 

'  September  16th. 

*  Dutch  Gap  Canal,  work  on  which  was  begun  10th  of  August. 

8  Transport  fleet  got  under  way  13th  of  Sept.,  1864. 

4  Powder-boat  exploded  24th  Dec.,  1864. 


286  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Grant  did  n't  stop  to  quarrel  long, 

He  took  a  wiser  way. 
Before  that  Congress  could  invent 

A  court  of  inquisition, 
He  up  and  fitted  out  and  sent 

Another  expedition.1 

And  while  at  Ben's  discomfiture, 

Jeff's  scowling  phiz  relaxes, 
Brave  Terry  at  the  palisades 

Is  hewing  with  the  axes ; 
And  ere  the  rebel  jeers  had  died 

Upon  that  shore  so  sandy, 
Our  gallant  boys  all  safe  inside 

Played  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy.8 

And  while  they  make  themselves  at  home 

On  sacred  Southern  soil, 
We  '11  travel  back  to  see  how  Hood 

Broke  through  Tecumseh's  coil. 
We  left  him  stealing  in  the  dark 

From  out  Atlanta  town, 
To  find  a  safer  spot  on  which 

To  set  his  soldiers  down. 

Tecumseh  slipped  into  the  place, 

He  found  it  big  enough 
To  settle  in,  but  it  was  full 

Of  useless  rebel  stuff. 
Said  he,  "  My  gallant  Yankee  boys 

With  traitors  can 't  be  mated ;" 
He  ordered 3  quickly  that  the  town 

By  rebels  be  vacated. 

1  Second  expedition  sailed  Jan.  6, 1865. 

»  Fort  Fisher  captured  Jan.  15, 1865.    a  Order  of  4th  of  Sept.,  1864. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  037 

The  mayor  groaned  1  "  'T  was  barbarous." 

Said  Sherman,*  "  It  is  war,  sir. 
When  first  you  fired  upon  the  flag 

The  consequence  I  saw,  sir." 
Hood  3  said  "  It  was  iniquitous, 

And  studied  cruelty  ; 
Transcending  all  he  ever  knew 

Of  war's  dark  history." 


Tecumseh  took  a  dip  of 

(You  see  he  was  insane,) 
Before  the  bar  of  history 

Bold  Hood  he  did  arraign  ; 
"  "Who  4  was  it,  sir,"  said  he,  "  that  plunged 

In  war  our  peaceful  nation, 
And  bloody  desolation  wrought 

Without  a  provocation  ? 

Talk  to  marines,"  Tecumseh  said, 

"  But  do  not  talk  to  me,  sir, 
Who  knows  the  length  and  breadth  and  depth 

Of  your  hypocrisy,  sir  ; 
I  want  the  town  now  for  my  camp, 

The  people  cannot  stay,  sir." 
And  so  Hood  made  a  ten  days'  truce, 

And  took  them  all  away,  sir. 

1  See  letter  of  llth  of  Sept.  from  the  mayor  and  others. 
"  See  Sherman's  reply. 

3  See  Hood's  letter  of  the  9th  of  Sept.,  1864. 

4  See  Sherman's  reply,  same  date  (Sept.  9). 


CHAPTEE   XLV. 

Now  Jefferson  had  chosen  Hood 

Because  lie  thought  him  fitter  . 
To  lead  the  chivalry  than  Jo, 

But  truly  it  was  bitter 
To  see  Tecumseh,  spite  of  all, 

The  sacred  soil  bisect ; 
Jeff  hastened  from  his  capital 

Hood's  errors  to  correct. 

Poor  Jeff !  he  has  an  awful  task, 

The  people  round  him  crowd 
In  fear,  and  wrath,  and  criticism, 

Till  clamors  grow  so  loud, 
That  Jeff,  who  never  looked  for  such 

Concomitants  of  treason, 
In  sore  perplexity  doth  lose 

His  temper  and  his  reason. 

His  soul  is  fired,  his  swelling  wrath 

Its  culmination  reaches ; 
He  scintillates,  that  is  to  say, 

He  takes  to  making  speeches  ; 
Before  his  burning  eloquence 

The  disaffected  shrivel, 
No  one  could  stand  such  scathing  fire 

Except  his  friend — the  Devil. 

(288) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE,          289 

The  Georgians  shrink  abashed  away, 

And  in  a  martial  mood 
Come  back  again  with  small  delay 

To  reinforce  bold  Hood. 
Militia  men  spring  up,  and  Jeff 

Applauds  the  loyalty 
Of  forty  thousand  lank,  long-haired, 

Full-blooded  chivalry. 

Then  Jeff  unto  the  Georgians 

Emphatically  says, 
"  These  barbarous  invading  Yanks 

Shall  all,  in  thirty  days, 
Be  driven  like  Napoleon 

From  Moscow  in  retreat,1 
Back  to  and  out  of  Tennessee 

With  horrible  defeat." 

Then  Jeff  he  speaks  to  General  Hood, 

Says  he,  "  There  is  the  foe,  sir, 
And  Chattanooga  is  his  base, 

Now  out  your  columns  throw,  sir, 
And  cut  Tiim  off  from  his  supplies  ; 

I  think  it  will  appear, 
With  his  long  train,  the  wisest  plan 

To  strike  him  in  the  rear." 

Says  Old  Tecumseh,  "  There  are  signs, 

When  Jefferson  is  wroth 
And  on  a  rampage,  he  designs 

A  visit  to  the  North  ; 
Now,  Thomas,  back  to  Nashville  go, 

Keep  everything  there  handy, 


1  Jeff 's  speech  at  Macon.  Qa. 

13 


290          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  hospitality  to  show 
Of  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

Hood  starts  for  Dallas,1  and  his  horse 

Strike  north  of  Marietta ; 
And  Sherman  moves  to  Kenesaw, 

And  sends  post  haste  a  letter 
To  Corse,  at  Rome,  who  hurries  up 

His  little  preparations, 
And  off  in  Allatoona  Pass 

Secures  a  million  rations.2 

It 's  just  in  time,  for  up  bold  Hood 

Comes  knocking  at  the  gate  ; 
"  You  can't  get  in,"  says  gallant  Corse, 

"  You  're  just  an  hour  too  late." 
Hood  knocks  away — within  the  works, 

Two  thousand  men  and  Corse, 
Outside,  a  whole  division  stand  ; 

Without  the  least  remorse, 

They  cannonade  two  mortal  hours, 

Then  French  sends  in  a  note,* 
That  Corse,  in  just  five  minutes'  time, 

(The  knave's  own  words  I  quote,) 
"  Had  best  surrender,  and  avoid 

A  profitless  effusion 
Of  blood."    "  Dear  me,"  says  Corse, "  that  rob 

Is  under  a  delusion." 

He  sends  an  answer  instantly, 
Resenting  the  intrusion, 

»  Starts  October  1, 1804. 

2  Beached  the  pass  1  o'clock  A.M.,  October  5 ;  French's  division 
(rebs)  came  up  in  one  hour  after. 

3  Half-past  eight  o'clock  on  the  5th  of  October. 


THE  NEW    YANKEE  DOODLE.         291 

And  says  his  garrison  are  all 

Prepared  for  his  effusion, 
As  soon  as  he  can  bring  it  on. 

Then  shuts  his  gate  again, 
And  up  against  it  fiercely  beats 

The  rebel  hurricane. 

All  day  against  the  parapets 

In  desperate  attack 
They  dash,  and  surge,  and  rage,  and  yet 

Are  constantly  hurled  back. 
Tecumseh  stood  on  Kenesaw, 

Beside  his  signal  corps, 
The  little  flags  from  mount  to  mount 

This  silent  message  bore  : 

"Hold  on,  there 's  help  at  hand,  my  boys  1" 

And  eighteen  miles  across, 
The  little  fluttering  flags  waved  back 

The  answer  of  brave  Corse. 
Tecumseh's  anxious  brow  relaxed, 

He  once  again  breathed  free  ; 
"  If  Corse  is  there,  he  will  hold  out, 

I  know  the  man,"  said  he. 

The  fight  still  rages,  larger  grow 

The  awful  piles  of  slain  ; 
One-third  the  garrison  laid  low  ; 

The  heroes  who  remain 
Set  firm  their  teeth,  the  last  wild  charge 

Defiantly  they  meet, — 
Hurrah !  hurrah !  'T  is  victory ! 

The  bugles  sound  retreat ! l 

1  At  night,  6th  of  October,  the  enemy  were  driven  from  every  posi 
tion,  and  Allatoona  was  secure. 


292          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Wei],  you  may  keep  your  little  pass, 

There 's  plenty  just  as  good,  sir, 
I  '11  make  Resaca  do  as  well," 

Says  valiant  General  Hood,  sir. 
He  strikes  northwest,  he  has  the  start, 

But  Sherman  's  most  as  soon,  sir ; 
Hood  comes  upon  Resaca  first,1 

He  thinks  of  Allatoona,  sir. 

He  knows  that  Baum's  small  garrison 

Has  got  a  brave  defender ; 
He  flirts  a  line  of  skirmishers, 

And  then  demands  surrender ; 
Says  he,  "  In  case  I  am  compelled 

To  carry  by  assault,  sir, 
I  '11  take  no  prisoners."     "  If  you  do 

'T  won't  be,"  says  Baum,  "  my  fault,  sir." 

Well,  just  as  Hood  was  going  to  win 

Resaca,  "and  Jeff's  thanks, 
Tecumseh's  generals  began 

A  pressure  on  his  flanks  ;  * 
He  shrinks  a  little,  Howard  nears, 

Hood  does  a  fight  refuse,  sir, 
And  off  southwest  his  course  he  steers, 

A-down  the  vale  of  Coosa. 

He  wriggles  round  among  the  gaps, 

He  will  avoid  a  fight ; 
So  down  Tecumseh  takes  his  maps, 

(His  cavalry  in  sight 
Still  hold  the  foe,)  and  studies  out 

In  novel  strategy 

»  October  13, 18C4 

a  October  13,  at  Snake  Creek  Gap. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  293 

To  leave  to  Hood  the  Northern  route 
And  start  down  for  the  sea. 

"  I  might  as  well,  as  chase  Hood  round, 

Be  laid  upon  a  shelf,  sir," 
Says  Sherman,  "  I  '11  give  him  a  rope 

And  let  him  hang  himself,  sir. 
Perhaps  he  11  choose  to  run  headlong 

Into  my  lion's  mouth 
At  Nashville !     "Well,  all  right,  my  boys, 

Just  point  the  colors  South." 

He  sends  his  surplus  stores  all  back 

To  Chattanooga  station ; 
His  sick  go  home,  then  all  the  track 

Of  his  communication 
He  tears  relentlessly  away, 

His  captured  posts  he  fires, 
Sends  up  his  last  dispatch  to  Grant, 

And  then  he  cuts  the  wires. 

And  by  the  lurid  crackling  blaze 

Of  doomed  Atlanta  town, 
His  rear-guard  marches  to  the  tune 

The  soldiers  call  "John  Brown." 
Far  in  advance  and  fearlessly, 

Along  the  road  so  sandy, 
His  bands  the  serried  columns  lead 

"With  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 


CHAPTEE    XLVI. 

WHEN  rebels  wise  in  Georgia 

Heard  Sherman's  drums  a-beating, 
They  flashed  by  telegraph  the  news, 

Tecumseh  was  "  retreating ;" 
But  Governor  Brown,  a  shrewdish  man, 

By  some  wise  intuition, 
Looked  shocked  when  word  was  brought  to  him 

Of  Sherman's  expedition. 

As  rumors  thick  and  thicker  grew, 

And  touched  on  the  romantic, 
The  rebels  fell  into  a  stew, 

The  Governor  he  grew  frantic. 
He  sent  to  Beauregard  in  haste, 

Who  said  the  public  weal 
Required,  first  of  all,  that  he 

Should  publish  an  appeal. 

So  Beauregard  and  Brown  sat  down 

And  straightway  did  concoct 
Some  proclamations,  sent  them  out, 

And  all  the  people  flocked 
(That  is,  as  many  as  could  read,) 

To  get  some  information 
Direct  from  these  two  clever  ones 

Upon  the  situation. 

(294) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          295 

Now  Beauregard  and  Brown  had  called 

On  all  to  volunteer, 
And  drive  Tecumseh  from  the  State, — 

Alack !  it  was  n't  clear 
Who  was  to  start  on  Sherman's  track, 

As  Brown  implored  they  would, 
When  all  the  able-bodied  men 

Had  gone  with  General  Hood. 

This  view  of  matters  striking  Brown 

His  patriotism  kindled, 
And  grew — just  in  proportion  as 

His  love  for  Davis  dwindled. 
Georgia  should  not  be  sacrificed 

To  Jefferson's  ambition ; 
Militia  should  not  leave  the  State 

Against  his  (Brown's)  volition. 

He  quick  unbarred  his  county  jails 

And  set  the  convicts  free, 
And  gave  them  guns  to  fight  beside 

His  other  chivalry. 
Jeff  sent  to  Beauregard  a  force, 

The  boys  formed  into  ranks, 
And,  singing  Dixie,  out  they  went 

To  exterminate  the  Yanks. 

One  thing  alone  was  in  the  way 

Of  this  glad  consummation — 
Tecumseh  had  a  wicked  way 

Of  baffling  expectation. 
His  cavalry  about  his  flanks 

Perplexed  the  rebs,  because 
They  hid  his  march — no  one  could  tell 

Exactly  "where  he  was. 


296          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

If  Sherman,  on  the  road  to  right, 

Did  start  off  with  his  drummers, 
His  cavalry  would  dash  to  left — 

And  then  those  dreadful  "  bummers  " 
Were  everywhere  at  once.     It  soon 

Alarmingly  was  clear, 
The  rebels  with  Tecumseh's  march 

Would  hardly  interfere. 

The  rebel  press  declared  the  news 

From  Georgia  could  but  cheer,  sir, 
The  most  despondent — what  it  was 

Could  not  at  once  appear,  sir. 
For  reasons  most  prudential,  Jeff 

Withheld  his  information, — 
He  was  n't  bound  to  furnish  news 

Unto  the  Yankee  nation. 

But  "  Hood  was  managing  the  foe ;" 

Then,  later,  it  was  stated 
That  Sherman,  "  cut  off  from  his  base, 

With  terror  unabated, 
In  disregard  of  strategy, 

War's  principles  defying — 
Pursued  by  Cotib,  in  fearful  haste, 

All  ways  at  once  was  flying." 

Tecumseh  straight  upon  his  course, 

Untouched  by  rebel  wiles, 
Cuts  through  the  country  clean  a  swath 

The  width  of  forty  miles. 
The  rebs  declare  that  Macon  is 

The  object  of  his  will ; 
They  plant  their  guns  in  its  defense — 

He  enters  Milledgeville ! 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  297 

The  Legislature  do  not  stay 

To  vote  Tecumseh  thanks ; 
But  sine  die  they  adjourn 

In  terror  of  the  Yanks. 
Now,  then,  the  rebels  have  found  out 

Exactly  where  he 's  going ; 
And  to  Augusta  run  with  spades, 

And  earth  begin  a-throwing. 

They  '11  stand  a  siege  (I  think  't  was  here 

They  dug  their  last  great  ditch) ; 
But  one  midday,  to  their  despair, 

There  came  a  little  hitch 
In  all  these  preparations ;  for 

In  just  the  neatest  manner 
Tecumseh  crossed  the  Ogeechee 

And  headed  for  Savannah. 

"  Destroy  the  roads !"  cried  Beauregard, 

"  Harass  In'm  night  and  day !" 
"Well,  some  bold  rebel  put  a  few 

Torpedoes  in  his  way. 
Tecumseh,  then,  he  ordered  up 

A  wagon  from  each  corps ; 
And,  heavy  loaded  with  secesh, 

He  sent  it  on  before. 

"  Hang  like  a  tiger  on  his  rear !" 

Was  Beauregard's  wild  cry, 
"  Hang  it  all,  we  can't  get  near !" 

Wild  echoes  did  reply. 
"  Starve  him  out,"  said  Beauregard, 

"Take  everything  away." 
"Leave  that  to  me,  it's  in  my  line," 

Did  Old  Tecumseh  say. 
13* 


298          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Burn  what  is  left,"  said  Beauregard, 

"  Make  all  the  land  a  waste  ;" 
"  It  shall  be  done,"  Tecumseh  said, 

"  According  to  your  taste." 
So  Sherman  with  a  ready  wit 

Kept  Jeff  upon  the  scowl, 
And  more,  he  kept  his  promises, 

And  made  "  the  Georgians  howl." 

On  through  the  fields,  past  villages,1 

Through  forests  of  dark  pine, 
"With  bugle  call  and  trumpet  tone, 

In  unmolested  line 
The  mighty  spectacle  rolled  on 

With  banners  floating  free, 
Tecumseh  and  his  gallant  host 

Went  "  smashing  to  the  sea." 

At  length  a  distant  heavy  gun 

Comes  booming  o'er  the  lea, 
A  signal  from  the  waiting  fleet 

Then  down  the  Ogeechee  ; 
Tecumseh  sends  a  messenger2 

For  Abram's  information, 
And  thus  it  was  Tecumseh  found 

His  "  lost  communication." 

Now,  Hardee,  round  Savannah  placed 

By  Jeff  to  guard  the  city, 
Saw  conning  up  with  rapid  pace 

This  man  devoid  of  pity, 

1  "  Sixty  thousand  men,  taking  merely  of  the  surplus  which  fell  in 
their  way  as  they  marched  rapidly  over  the  main  roads,  subsisted 
for  three  weeks  in  the  very  country  where  the  Union  prisoners  at 
Andersonville  were  starved  to  death  or  idiocy." — Page  298  of  SJier- 
man  and  his  Campaigns.  a  December  9. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         299 

This  "  crazy  "  Sherman,  bound  to  fight 

On  very  slight  pretences  ; 
He  shuddered,  and  slipped  out  of  sight 

Within  the  town's  defences. 

Tecumseh  closed  up  steadily ; 

Somewhat  in  trepidation, 
He  reconnoitered,  and  he  mused 

Upon  the  situation. 
"  I  can't  lay  siege  without  siege  guns, 

There 's  plenty  in  the  fleet, 
But  how  to  get  them,  there 's  the  rub — 

And  then  the  case  to  meet, 

He  first  resolved  to  lake  the  fort 

That  kept  Abe's  vessels  out, 
Whose  guns,  according  to  report, 

Swept  all  the  land  about. 
He  sent  for  Hazen ;  when  he  camo, 

As  Sherman  had  expected, 
He  was  rejoiced  that  for  the  task 

His  troops  had  been  selected. 

The  morrow1  Sherman  takes  his  stand, 

Some  three  miles  intervene 
'Twixt  Tiim  and  Hazen's  gallant  band  ; 

And  out  upon  the  scene 
With  anxious  gaze  he  turns  his  glass, 

Then  seaward  for  the  fleet. 
At  last,  a  steamer's  moving  smoke 

His  anxious  glances  meet. 

"  See !  Howard — there  the  gunboat  is, 
And  there  a  signal  fliea" 

1  December  13. 


300          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

"  Have  we  the  fort  ?"— "  No !  can  you  help  ?" 

Tecumseh  quick  replies. 
"  What  shall  we  do  ?"  comes  waving  back, 

There  is  no  answer  given, 
For  from  the  fort  in  thunder  tones 

A  plain  response  is  driven. 

The  strife  begins — sharpshooters  try 

To  clear  the  parapets, 
And  Hazen  sees  them  in  the  marsh 

And  secretly  he  frets. 
It 's  heavy  work,  the  sun  is  low, 

And  there  plain  in  his  sight 
This  signal  waves — "You,  without  fail, 

Must  take  the  fort  to-night" 

He  knows  Tecumseh 's  watching  him, 

And  with  a  swift  invention 
He  forms  his  line,  his  bugler  bids 

To  sound  the  call  "Attention !" 
The  warning  note  sweeps  o'er  the  line, 

And  in  the  distance  dies. 
"Sound  it  again  !  !"  then  still  once  more 

"  SOUND  IT  AGAIN  ! !"  he  cries. 

The  gallant  fellows  clutch  their  guns, 

In  wild  excitement  stand, 
When,  FORWARD  ! — and  a  shiver  runs 

Along  the  expectant  band. 
Then,  with  a  ringing  shout  they  bound, 

The  fort's  hot  fire  they  meet, 
Torpedoes,hidden  in  the  sand 

Explode  beneath  their  feet. 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.         301 

Unheeding  death  above,  below, 

Abattis  frown  in  vain, 
They  tear  it,  tramp  it,  lay  it  low, 

And  on  they  dash  amain. 
They  reach  the  ditch. — As  Sherman  gazed 

He  thought  their  course  was  stayed, 
They  only  stopped,  from  out  their  way 

To  wrench  the  palisade. 

And  steadily  the  flag  moved  on ; 

Now,  shrouded  in  the  smoke, 
Now,  waving  free ;  from  first  to  last 

The  blue  line  never  broke. 
Right  up  the  rebel  parapet, 

And  ere  the  day  was  done, 
The  Stars  and  Stripes  were  firmly  set, — 

MCALLISTER  was  won ! 

So  Sherman  got  his  heavy  guns 

And  put  them  in  position ; 
Then,  ere  he  opened,  of  Hardee 

Politely  asked  admission. 
"No,  sir"  said  valorous  Hardee, 

But  while  Tecumseh  waited 
He  changed  his  mind,  in  three  days  he 

The  town  evacuated.1 

Then  Sherman  wrote,  and  of  his  note 

This  was  about  the  drift : 
He  did  Savannah  to  Old  Abe 

Present — a  Christmas-gift. 
The  rebs  their  injured  feelings  did 

In  one  short  phrase  condense, 
They  said,  "  Savannah  never  was 

Of  any  consequence." 

1  Evacuated  December  20, 18&L 


CHAPTER   XLVII. 

"  Now,  what  comes  next  ?"  said  Abraham. 

"While  Grant  and  he  decide, 
We  '11,  just  to  see  the  end  of  Hood, 

Straight  back  to  Georgia  ride. 
How  he  was  reinforced  we  saw 

Upon  a  prior  occasion, 
And  how  he  started  out  to  chase 

Jeff's  "  phantom  of  invasion." 

When  Thomas  saw  that  o'er  the  stream 

Of  Tennessee  he  wended 
His  daring  way,  his  eyes  did  gleam, 

And  his  suspense  was  ended. 
He  gathers  up  his  scattered  men, 

Falls  back  as  Hood  advances ; 
And  gaily  to  its  certain  doom 

Hood's  cavalry  it  prances. 

The  rebels  were  in  ecstacies, 

They  rolled  the  exulting  cry, 
"  Hood  ravaged  unresistedly, 

And  roared  without  reply." 
'T  was  partly  true — the  stars  and  bars 

He  impudently  flirted 
Before  Pulaski.    Ah !  but  then 

Pulaski  was  deserted ! 

(302) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         303 

He  galloped  to  Columbia, 

His  troopers  were  elated ; 
No  Yankee  there  to  stop  the  way, 

Columbia  was  vacated. 
Hood  telegraphs — he  knows  't  will  please 

King  Jefferson  to  see, 
How  every  day  or  two,  with  ease, 

He  wins  a  victory. 

A  few  more  triumphs  (sure  to  be) 

And  he  will  have  the  whole 
Of  poor  distracted  Tennessee, 

Quite  under  his  control. 
He  snapped  at  Franklin  greedily, 

He  bit  upon  a  file, 
For  Schofield  laid  his  chivalry 

In  many  a  ghastly  pile. 

All  day  they  struggled  for  the  town,1 

At  night  Schofield  retreated, 
And  Hood  sent  back  to  Jefferson 

"  The  Yankees  were  defeated." 
The  end  was  gained,  delay  was  o'er, 

For  Thomas  now  awaited 
The  rebels  nibble  at  his  trap, 

With  Nashville  it  was  baited. 

Up  tramps  the  sanguine  traitor  host 

And  camp  all  round  about, 
Old  Thomas  thinks  away  within, 

He  does  n't  yet  look  out ; 
He  lets  the  rebels  quiet  stay 

Until  they  are  quite  rested, 

1  November  30, 1864. 


304          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  Hood  has  written  Jeff  to  say, 
"  That  Nashville  is  invested." 

Then  moves  the  lion  from  his  lair,1 

He  springs  upon  the  foe, 
In  vain  the  victim  in  despair 

Writhes  in  its  dying  throe. 
He  crushes,  crunches  him  between 

His  heavy  iron  jaws,  sir ; 
He  tears  him  piece-meal  with  his  sharp 

And  glittering  steel  claws,  sir. 

Night  falls.     The  shattered  army  seeks 

Escape  at  early  dawn. 
All  night  a  watch  "  Old  Thomas  "  keeps, 

And  with  the  opening  morn 
His  cavalry  to  saddle  spring, 

And  winged  artillery 
Fly  to  the  tune  the  bullets  sing, 

To  keep  Hood  company. 

Day  after  day  't  is  all  the  same, 

This  helter-skelter  chase ; 
Till  e'en  the  lion  himself  gave  out, 

And  wearied  of  the  race. 
Hood  crossed  the  river  Tennessee,1 

Two-thirds  his  men  were  gone, 
And  all  his  guns,  and  he  himself 

As  wretchedly  forlorn 


1  December  15th,  battle  of  Nashville. 

a  Dec.  ICth.  Another  battle.  Hood's  loss,  13,189  prisoners,  2,207 
deserters,  30  guns,  700  small  arms.  Dec.  17th.  Hood  driven  through 
Franklin.  Dec.  18th.  Hood  driven  to  Spring  Hill.  Dec.  19th.  Hood 
driven  to  Duck  River :  61  pieces  of  artillery  captured  out  of  06. 
Hood's  rear-guard  crossed  at  Bainbridge,  Dec.  28th. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          305 

As  every  rebel  soul  will  be, 

When  with  returning  reason 
The  glamour  falls,  and  he  can  see 

His  own  bare  fact  of  treason. 
Hood's  men  deserted  left  and  right, 

Wherever  it  came  handy ; 
And  never  did  come  back  to  fight 

Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 


CHAPTEE   XLVIII. 

Now,  Hood's  disaster  through  the  South 

Like  bolts  of  thunder  pealed ; 
It  burst  their  clouds  of  falsity, 

Their  nakedness  revealed. 
In  anger,  shame,  and  fierce  despair, 

With  wild  discordant  notes,  sir, 
Of  helpless  wrath,  they  rend  the  air, 

And  Jeff  is  their  scape-goat,  sir. 

Brave  people  !  like  the  Jews  of  old 

They  turn  upon  their  leaders ; 
They  stone  their  Moses,  fret  and  scold, 

Magnanimous  seceders ! 
In  their  "  united  South  "  't  was  plain 

There  was  a  fearful  schism ; 
One-half  the  rebs  pronounced  Jeff's  reign 

A  cursed  despotism. 

They  cried  for  a  dictator — called 

Despairingly  on  Lee ; 
They  swore  by  Jeff  they  were  enthralled ; 

They  vowed  they  would  be  free. 
Lee  said  one  thing  remained  that  might 

Bring  Dixie  some  relief ; 
That  was — ahem ! — in  fact,  conscript — 

Arm  Sambo,  to  be  brief.1 

1  "  I  think  the  measure  not  only  expedient,  but  necessary."    See 
Lee's  letter  to  Hon.  E.  Barksdale,  House  of  Representatives,  Rich 
mond,  of  February  18th. 
(30C) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.        307 

This  was  a  bombshell  in  their  camp, 

The  "  Southern  heart "  re-"  fired," 
But  nothing  being  left  to  burn, 

Combustion  soon  expired. 
Their  Congress  took  the  subject  up, 

And  finally  did  reach 1 
A  vote  conclusive ;  though  both  Orr 

And  Wigfall  made  a  speech. 

With  "  public  spirit  on  the  wane," 

The  ship  of  state  a-leaking 
And  settling  fast,  the  rats  began 

A-running  and  a-squeaking.2 
The  States  began  to  talk  of  "  rights  " 

Reserved  for  time  of  need ; 
They  did  n't  like  Jeff's  government — 

Perhaps  they  'd  best  secede ! 

Some  said  't  would  be  a  wiser  plan 

To  call  a  States'  convention  ; 
Savannah  (tho'  the  Georgians 

Would  scarcely  like  to  mention 
The  fact)  was  getting  on  so  well 

With  Sherman's  government, 
The  starving  people  eating  corn 

That  Jonathan  had  sent,3 

And  actually  satisfied 

With  Yankee  subjugation — 
Oh,  horrible !  was  this  the  end 

Of  their  Confederation  ? 

1  The  Neapro  Soldier  Bill  passed  both  House  and  Senate,  February 
23d,  by  one  vote. 

2  Foote  resigned  in  January,  1865. 

3  Immediately  upon  the  capture  of  Savannah,  subscriptions  wero 
taken  up  at  the  North,  and  supplies  sent  to  the  suffering. 


308          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  South  Carolina  she  cried  out — 

Demanded  some  protection, 
For  Old  Tecumseh's  eyes  she  felt 

Were  turned  in  her  direction. 

Some  swore  they  'd  send  to  Johnny  Bull, 

And  be  his  colony, 
But  as  for  treating  with  the  Yanks, 

That  was  too  dastardly ; — 
Just  here  the  Blairs  came  into  town, 

The  rebs  all  expectation, 
Declared  that  Abe  had  sent  them  down 

For  peace  negotiation. 

Then  once  again  the  "  Southern  heart " 

Puffed  out  a  little  smoke ; 
Their  vows  about  their  last  great  ditch 

They  never  would  revoke. 
"  What,  trust  the  mercy  of  the  Tanks ! 

Better  the  Lion's  jaw, 
The  adder's  fang,  the  scorpion's  sting, 

Shark's  teeth,  or  tiger's  claw."  * 

Where  was  the  Devil  all  this  time  ? 

To  mention  him  I  've  feared, 
He  'd  grown  so  like  the  other  rebs, 

His  ear-marks  disappeared. 
I  search  the  records  of  the  day, 

But  always  off  his  track  run, 
I  thought  I  had  him  once,  dear  me  ! 

'Twas  only  Dr.  Blackburn.8 


1  Richmond  Whig,  January  20, 1865. 

2  The  chivalrous  gentleman  who  introduced  yellow  fever  and  cho 
lera  into  the  Union  cities  by  means  of  infested  clothing. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  309 

I  followed  what  I  deemed  liis  tracks 

To  some  N.ew  York  hotels ; * 
The  job  was  managed  bunglingly, 

He  would  have  done  it  well,  sir. 
I  thought  I  had  him  on  the  lakes,2 

I  wrongly  did  infer, 
'T  was  Beal,  a  Southern  gentleman, 

A  rebel  officer. 

The  atmosphere  of  rebeldom, 

So  dark  and  darker  grew ; 
That  isolated  blackness  had 

No  chance  of  showing  through ; 
Hia  very  imps  did  fade  from  sight, 

Lost  in  the  general  level 
Of  Southern  principles,  that  hid 

The  blackness  of  the  devil. 

Some  cried  for  this,  and  some  for  that, 

The  panic  wildly  spread, 
The  rebel  press  in  desperate  strait, 

The  wild  confusion  fed. 
"  They  had  been  ruined  by  King  Jeff, 

Then*  end,  so  undramatic, 
Was  close  at  hand,  brought  on  by  him 

Hap-hazard,  wild,  fanatic." 

Now  Jeff  was  very  politic, 
A  crafty  man  indeed, 

1  The  diabolical  plot  to  barn  New  York,  was  attempted  to  be  put  m 
execution  on  the  night  of  the  25th  November ;  fifteen  hotels  and  Bar- 
num's  Museum  and  shipping  were  fired. 

2  Beal,  a  rebel  officer,  captured  and  destroyed  two  steamboats  on  the 
Lakes ;  also  attempted  to  throw  a  train  of  cars  from  the  track  between 
Dunkirk  and  Buffalo.    It  was  shown  on  the  trial  of  Beal,  that  he  had 
made  three  such  attempts.    He  was  hanged,  and  the  Virginia  Senate 
adopted  resolutions  recommending  retaliation. 


31.0          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

He  sent  for  Stephens  who,  though  sick 
As  usual,  came  with  speed ; 

And  Jeff  before  him  laid  a  plan 
Suggested,  some  declare, 

By  that  disinterested  man, 
The  mystical  Old  Blair  : 

That  Stephens  once  again  should  go 

With  Hunter,  speedily, 
And  Campbell  up  to  Fort  Monroe 

Abe  Lincoln  for  to  see. 
Jeff  thought  the  times  were  riper  now 

For  a  negotiation ; 
That  Abe  perhaps  would  come  to  terms 

With  the  Confederation. 

Well,  Stephens  went  to  Hampton  Eoads,1 

And  Abe  sent  Seward  down ; 
Then  went  himself  to  have  a  talk, 

While  Jonathan  did  frown, 
And  fretted  till  Old  Abe  came  back, 

And  said  the  talk  was  done ; 
The  rebels  of  two  nations  spoke 

But  Tie  of  only  one. 

They  wanted  Grant  to  loose  his  hold, 

Give  them  a  breathing  spell, 
And  then  when  passions  had  grown  cold, 

Why !  things  would  all  be  well. 
Abe  "  could  n't  see  "  the  rebel  point, 

He  told  them  he  had  three; 
"  No  other  flag  than  Jonathan's ! 

No  truce  !  no  slavery ! " 

1  Sec  page  50G  of  McPliersou'a  History  of  the  Rebellion. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  311 

The  rebs  went  home,  and  told  King  Jeff, 

Said  he,  "  It 's  an  ill  wind,  sirs, 
That  blows  nobody  any  good ; 

I  dare  say  we  shall  find,  sirs, 
That  this  will  fan  into  a  flame 

The  smouldering  Southern  hearts ; " 
Then  Jeff  he  called  his  trusty  rebs, 

And  gave  them  out  their  parts. 

They  held  war  meetings,  up  and  down, 

They  rasped  the  Southern  heart 
Till  it  grew  hot,  they  vilified 

Till  rebel  souls  did  smart 
Beneath  fresh  insults  from  the  Yanks ; 

They  pledged  anew  their  lives 
Unto  the  cause, — oh  never  would 

They  wear  Old  Abram's  "  gyves." 

Then  Jeff  he  made  a  little  speech,1 

"  He  felt  ecstatic  joy 
To  see  the  courage  of  the  rebs, 

Which  nothing  could  destroy ; 
Let  them  stand  firm  in  sun  or  shade 

Whatever  was  the  weather ; " 
Then  all  the  rebs  for  answer  made, 

"  We  vM  all  hang  together" 

They  threw  their  scabbards  straight  away 

And  waved  their  naked  swords, 
"  War  to  the  death !  no  parley  now, 

They  wanted  no  more  words !  " 
Said  Jeff,  "  This  Northern  wind  for  once, 

Has  blown  as  I  expected ; 
Now,  Beauregard,  find  out  the  route 

That  Sherman  has  selected." 

1  February  6, 1865,  in  Richmond. 


312  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Now  this  was  just  the  very  thing 

Tecumseh  had  decided 
Should  not  be  done, — it  was  his  plan, 

To  keep  the  rebs  divided. 
So  Slocunx  stretches  with  the  left 

Along  Savannah  river, 
Augusta-ward,  while  Howard's  line 

Puts  Charleston  in  a  shiver. 

Tecumseh  pushes  thro'  the  swamps, 

In  almost  all  directions, 
And  baffles  with  his  skirmishers 

Sir  Beauregard's  inspections. 
At  length  he  gathers  up  his  host, 

Leaves  Branchville  on  the  south,1 
And  Hardee  feels  a-drawing  down 

The  corners  of  his  mouth. 

He  leaves  Chaiiestonians  to  their  fate, 

Evacuates  the  place, 
And  Quincy  Gillmore,  neighborly, 

Doth  put  a  pleasant  face 
Upon  the  matter ;  makes  a  call ; 9 

The  Charleston  people  say 
They  're  glad  to  see  him,  and  they  all 

Express  a  hope  he  11  slay. 

They  didn't  mind  his  colored  troops 

That  bore  the  flag  upright 
Along  their  streets, — for  on  the  whole 

It  was  a  pleasant  sight. 

1  Leaving  the  left  wing  to  destroy  the  Charleston  and  Savannah 
railroad  west  of  Branchville,  Sherman  with  the  right  wing  moved  on 
Orangehurg  thirteen  miles  north  of  Branchville  between  Charleston 
and  Columbia. 

5  The  whole  Seventeenth  Corps  was  in  Charleston  on  Feb.  12, 1865. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          313 

They  had  been  burned,  and  eaten  up, 

And  eaten  up,  and  burned, 
Until  exhausted,  they  grew  sane, 

And  for  protection  yearned. 

The  rebs  in  Richmond  said  they  thought 

That  this  evacuation 
Was,  on  the  whole,  a  benefit 

To  their  Confederation. 
What  could  they  want  with  Charleston  ?  sure 

That  would  be  hard  to  tell ; 
'Twas  full  of  starving  women,  and 

The  city  was  a  shell. 

"  If  all  the  seaboard  towns  had  been 

Long  since  evacuated, 
It  would  have  added  to  their  strength," ' 

And  they  insinuated 
That  Jeff  some  other  useless  posts 

Had  checked  upon  his  maps ; 
And  thus  they  tried  to  engineer, 

Their  horrible  collapse. 

The  traitors  were  prophetic,  for, 

In  just  about  a  week, 
Their  troops  in  Wilmington  foresaw 

'T  was  best  for  them  to  seek 
A  safer  spot  (where  that  could  be 

Was  hard  to  tell,  oh !  very. ) 
But  off  they  went ;  their  guns  and  things  * 

They  just  transferred  to  Terry. 

Tecumseh  turns  his  columns  straight 
Upon  Columbia  City,3 

1  Richmond  Despatch,  February  22, 1865. 

'•i  Terry  entered  Wilmington  on  February  22, 1865 ;  fifty-one  pieces  of 
ordnance  (heavy),  fifteen  light  pieces  and  a  large  amount  of  ammu 
nition  were  captured.  3  Surrendered  February  17, 1865. 
14 


314          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  rebels  drag  their  cotton  out, 

And  Hampton,  without  pity, 
Applies  the  torch ;  the  wind  is  high, 

The  bales  are  everywhere, 
The  burning  tufts  of  cotton  fly, 

And  why  should  Hampton  care  ? 

Columbia  made  desolate 

By  Sherman, — "  Yankee  Hessian ! " 
Becomes  a  famous  rebel  text. 

The  "  hot-bed  of  secession," 
However,  has  had  fire  enough, 

Enough  of  brag  and  fustian, 
Carolina  sits  a  victim  of 

Spontaneous  combustion. 

Tecumseh  leaves  the  burning  town,1 

Wade  Hampton  left  before ; 
O'er  roads,  plantations,  villages, 

His  mighty  columns  pour. 
His  foragers  like  locusts  spread, 

Devouring  what  they  find, 
Green  smiling  fields  stretch  on  ahead, 

A  blackened  waste  behind. 

Hia  cavalry  with  Wheeler  play, 

Still  squinting  at  Augusta, 
And  to  impede  his  march  that  way 

The  baffled  rebels  muster. 
"  Kil "  tears  roads  up  and  bridges  down 

Along  his  flashing  way, 
Tecumseh's  Jack  olantern  he 

To  lead  the  foe  astray. 

1  Sherman  having  destroyed  all  that  remained  of  Columbia  that 
could  he  used  for  military  purposes,  marched  on  the  20th  directly  on 
Winsboro. 


CHAPTEE   XLIX. 

WHEN  Jeff  learned  Beauregard  had  failed 

Columbia  to  hold, 
His  elongated  visage  paled, 

His  traitor's  blood  grew  cold. 
He  sent  to  Jo,  in  haste,  to  say 

His  services  were  needed ; 
And  Beauregard  that  very  day 

By  Jo  was  superseded. 

Jo  gathered  up  the  scattered  rebs 

At  Charlotte,  got  them  steadied, 
For  he  was  sure  that  was  the  point 

To  which  Tecumseh  headed. 
And  so  it  was  ;  through  mud  and  mire 

For  Charlotte  straight  he  steers,  sir,1 
A  day  or  two,  then  wheels  about, 

And  leaves  it  in  his  rear,  sir. 

Across  Catawba's  muddy  stream, 

And  on  for  the  Pedee, 
Tecumseh  moves,  and  at  Cheraw 

He  comes  upon  Hardee, 

1  On  the  22d  February,  1365,  Slocum  continued  his  march  to 
Charlotte ;  then,  facing  to  the  right,  marched  for  the  Catowha  at 
Eocky  Mount.  The  SOth  corps  crossed  on  the  S3d,  followed  hy 
Kilpatrick,  and  moved  on  Lancaster  towards  Charlotte.  It  was  not 
until  the  main  army  reached  the  Pedee  that  the  rehels  discovered 
their  mistake. 

(315) 


316          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

That  is  to  say,  his  guns  and  stuff1 
From  Charleston  brought  with  care ; 

Now  Sherman  has  such  things  enough, 
He  spikes  and  leaves  them  there. 

Kilpatrick  with  his  cavalry 

About  his  column  hovers ; 
His  movements  from  the  rebel  scouts 

Eight  skillfully  he  covers. 
But  Jo  sees  Old  Tecumseh's  game — 

Jo  is  a  cunning  man — 
And  off  for  Fayetteville  he  starts 

To  spoil  Tecumseh's  plan. 

The  roads  are  bogs,  the  streams  are  floods  ; 

So  long  as  it 's  daylight 
Tecumseh  flounders  and  he  wades — 

He  corduroys  all  night 
Jo  hurries  up,  Kilpatrick  tries 

Three  roads  at  once  to  hold ; 
Wade  Hampton's  troopers  gallop  up  ;2 

Kilpatrick's  boys  so  bold, 

Caught  napping,  run  and  leave  their  guns — 

The  rebels  stop  to  plunder. 
Kil  drives  his  men  back  into  line  ; 

Before  the  rebs  can  wonder, 
Is  down  upon  them,  has  his  guns 

Turned  in  their  very  faces, 
And  deals  a  fiery  welcome  out 

At  "hardly  twenty  paces." 


1  A.t  noon,  on  the  3d  March,  Blair's  (17th)corps  entered  Cheraw,  cap 
turing  twenty-five  pieces  of  artillery  and  much  ammunition  which 
had  been  brought  from  Charleston  when  that  city  was  evacuated. 
4  March  10. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  317 

The  rebs  retreat,  come  back  and  fight, 

Their  little  dash  is  foiled ; 
Wade  Hampton  draws  his  troopers  off, 

His  little  sport  is  spoiled. 
To  gather  up  his  broken  boys, 

Was  now  the  work  of  "  Kil ;" 
Then  off — he  heads  Tecumseh's  troops 

And  enters  Fayetteville.1 

Now  Sherman  when  at  Laurel  Hill s 

Had  sent  a  messenger 
To  hunt  him  up  a  base — at  least 

We  may  so  much  infer ; 
This  courier  to  Wilmington 

Had  waded  with  a  line, 
To  tell  Old  Abe  "  his  troops  were  well, 

And  they  were  doing  fine."  * 

When  Sherman  enters  Fayetteville, 

There  up  the  Cape  Fear  river 
Comes  puffing  Uncle  Sam's  gunboat 

An  answer  to  deliver.3 
Quoth  Sherman,  "  Jo  is  making  up 

A  heavy  concentration 
To  fall  upon  us,  by  and  by — 

I  've  no  disapprobation, 

"  But  I  must  send  dispatches  down, 

Old  Abe  has  troops  to  spare ; 
1 11  move  on  Goldsboro  at  once, 

If  Schofield  meets  me  there." 


1  On  the  llth  of  March, 

2  March  8.    The  whole  army  was  massed  on  the  12th. 

3  On  the  12th  March  the  army-tug  Davidson  and  the  gunboat  Eolus 
reached  Fayetteville  from  Wilmington. 


318          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

So  down  the  muddy  swollen  stream, 

The  little  tug  departed ; 
And  took  Tecumseh's  note  by  steam, 

But  Schofield,  sir,  Jiad  started. 

The  rebels  tried  to  hold  him  back, 

They  pressed  upon  his  flanks ; 
At  Wise's  Forks  they  made  attack ;' 

Repulsed,  with  broken  ranks, 
They  crossed  the  river,  burned  the  bridge,9 

And  ran  to  General  Jo, 
Who  massed  his  troops — where  we  shall  see, 

As  future  movements  show. 

Then  Schofield  made  himself  a  bridge, 

And  crossed  the  very  day3 
Tecumseh  off  for  Raleigh  starts 

Where  reb  headquarters  lay. 
Now  Hardee  out  from  Fayetteville 

Had  run  into  a  mire4 
At  Averysboro.     Up  rode  Kil ; 

Hardee  would  not  retire. 

Rilpatrick  then  to  Slocum  sent, 

That  he  "  the  rebs  must  rout ;" 
So  in  the  swamp  bold  Slocum  went, 

And  Hardee  he  came  out.5 
Then  said  Tecumseh — "  To  the  right, 

For  Goldsboro  make  haste,  sirs." 
Said  General  Jo — "  Now,  boys  in  gray, 

We  have  no  time  to  waste,  sirs." 

1  March  8.          2  Across  the  Neuse. 

3  On  the  14th  March,  1864. 

4  "  Hardee  halted  in  the  Swampy  Neck,  hetween  Cape  Fear  and 
South  Rivers.    He  had  20,000  men  and  must  be  dislodged." 

6  March  16. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.          319 

Jo  falls  on  Slocrun  heavily;1 

If  his  wise  plan  don 't  fail 
He  has  the  Yanks  at  last.     He  strikes 

Tecumseh  in  detail. 
His  move  is  quick,  't  is  bold,  but  oh ! 

Tecumseh 's  bolder,  quicker ; 
Kilpatrick  hears  the  cannon  roar, 

His  squadrons  gather  thicker. 

Then  thunder-laden  clouds  do  roll, 

In  wilder  storms  they  burst ; 
And  Davis 's  immortal  corps,1 

All  heroes,  for  the  first 
Dread  charge  stand  ready;  as  from  rock 

The  rebel  hosts  rebound. 
Six  fierce  assaults  the  heroes  meet, 

Yield  not  an  inch  of  ground. 

That  night  Joe  fell  to  using  spades, 

But  spades  Tecumseh  spurned ; 
The  morrow,3  from  his  parapet, 

Jo  saw  the  tables  turned. 
Instead  of  striking  in  detail, 

Jo  finds  the  job  extensive ; 
Tecumseh's  battle-line  is  formed, 

And  Jo  on  the  defensive. 

Tecumseh  does  n't  force  a  fight — 

A  man  he  of  reflection — 
With  Schofield,  pressing  up  the  Neuse, 

He  'd  rather  make  connection. 
He  holds  his"  army  well  in  hand, 

And  closely  watches  Jo, 

1  March  19.  2  The  14th  Corps.  3  March  20. 


320          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

To  see,  outside  his  parapets 
If  he  his  face  will  show. 

The  meantime  Schofield  hurries  up 

In  Goldsboro'  commands,1 
And  Terry  halts  ten  miles  above, 

And  then  they  all  shake  hands. 
They  hold  the  river  all  the  way 

Straight  down  to  Wilmington, 
The  railroad  track  to  Newbern  town, 

And  that  campaign  is  done. 

Now,  what  will  General  Johnston  do  ? 

Let  go  his  parapets  ? 
He  has  an  ancient  fear  of  traps 

That  Old  Tecumseh  sets. 
Tecumseh  gives  a  little  tap 

Upon  his  outer  gate  ;2 
Jo  gives  an  answer  to  the  rap, 

But  then — he  does  n't  wait. 

He  leaves  his  pickets  and  his  dead, 

And  slips  across  the  creek  ;3 
The  rebels  down  in  Kichmond  said, 

In  just  about  one  week 
That  General  Jo  would  have  the  Yanks 

All  buried  in  the  mud, 
So  rank  and  rapid  on  "their  Jo;" 

Their  hopes  forlorn  did  bud. 

Well,  Sherman's  boys  with  constant  use 
Had  worn  their  shoes  quite  thin  ; 

1  March  21st,  occupation  of  Goldsboro',  and  junction  of  the  armies 
of  Sherman,  Schofield  and  Terry. 
*  The  "  Noisy  Battle  "  of  the  21st  of  March. 
3  Mill  Creek. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.        321 

They  must  be  shod,  before  they  can 

Another  march  begin. 
Tecumseh  leaves  the  job  to  Meigs, 

(Who  never  said,  "  I  can't,  sir,") 
And  then  he  slips  on  board  a  boat, 

To  visit  Abe  and  Grant,  sir.1 

And  while  the  plans  for  future  work 

Are  laid  for  his  inspection, 
And  Grant  and  he  make  new  campaigns 

Converge  in  Lee's  direction, 
And  Abe  begins  to  see  the  end. 

Along  the  war's  red  track 
Where  the  Potomac  Army  fought 

We  11  turn  our  glances  back. 

1  City  Point,  27th  of  March,  1866. 

14* 


CHAPTER    L. 

WHEN  Thomas  hoodwinked  General  Hood, 

And  managed  him  so  handy, 
That  in  the  end  he  understood 

Old  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy, 
He  back  to  Nashville  went,  and  found 

A  note  from  Grant  did  wait 
To  tell  him,  Schofield  must  come  round, 

And  so  co-operate 

With  Sherman; (how  his  part  was  done 

We  have  already  seen). 
Grant  also  said,  some  cavalry 

Might  brush  up  neat  and  clean 
Those  crumbs  of  the  rebellion  left 

Outside  his  concentration, 
That  steadily  was  grinding  down 

The  doomed  Confederation. 

While  Stoneman  utterly  destroys 

The  road  Jo  Johnston  uses1 
To  bring  supplies  to  his  gray  boys, 

And  Jo  thereby  confuses  ; 
(This  line  Jo  hoped  to  keep  intact 

In  case  of  a  defeat, 

1  Railroad  from  Greensboro1,  N.  C.,  through  Salisbury  to  tbe  Ca- 
tawba. 

(322) 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  323 

In  the  contingency — in  fact — 
Of  having  to  retreat ) 

While  Canby  sweeps  along  the  bay 

And  joins  with  General  Steele, 
To  clear  the  rebel  virus  from 

The  city  of  Mobile  j1 
While  Wilson  with  his  cavalry2 

Through  Alabama  rushes, 
That  besom  of  destruction,  PHIL, 

Through  Old  Virginia  brushes. 

He  bolts  post  haste  from  Winchester,3 

His  troopers  ride  so  hard, 
That  Jubal  Early  in  his  works 

Cannot  their  speed  retard. 
They  clatter  up  and  aver  them, 

Right  over  men  and  guns, 
And  wagon  train  and  battle-flags, 

Before  their  ride  is  done. 

Phil  tears  down  bridges,  burns  cross-ties, 

Destroys  canals  and  locks  ;4 
His  thundering  squadrons  shake  the  ground, 

Till  Lynchburg  feels  the  shocks.5 
The  web  of  treason,  cut  all  round 

Hangs  by  a  single  thread  ; 
If  Lee  don't  creep  on  that  to  Jo, 

Grant  has  the  spider's  head. 

Will  Lee  wait  for  the  nan-owing  coil 
To  crush  him  where  he  lies  ? 

1  March  28th,  defences  of  Mobile  attacked ;  city  occupied  April  12th. 
"  Loaves  Nashville  with  15,000  men  on  the  17th  of  March,  1865. 
3  February  27th,  Phil  took  1,600  prisoners,  11  guns,  200  wagons  and 
17  battle-flags.    •>  James  River  canal.    5  Within  16  miles  of  Lynchburg. 


324          TUP:  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Or  will  he  leave  Virginia's  soil, 

When  hope  of  victory  dies  ? 
Grant  fears  he  may  escape  to  Jo, 

And  to  the  mountains  flee  ; 
Then  Sherman's  troops  are  working  up — 

Grant  thinks  the  victory 

Belongs  to  the  Potomac  boys, 

Who  've  toiled  so  long  and  well ; 
If  they  don't  win  ere  Sherman  comes, 

'T  is  easy  to  foretell, 
Tecumseh  11  steal  the  laurels  from 

Their  weather-beaten  brow. 
Grant  bites  another  fresh  cigar, 

And  says  he  '11  strike  right  now. 

He  wrote  his  orders  out  that  day,1 

But  Lee  was  desperate,  sir, 
He  could  n't  brook  an  hour's  delay, 

He  would  decide  his  fate,  sir. 
A  coup-de-main — Fort  Steadman  fell, 

Its  guns  are  turned  about ; 
Hartranft's  recruits  rush  in  pell-mell, 

And  push  the  rebels  out, 

Turn  back  the  guns,  sweep  down  the  foe, 

And  Meade  starts  into  hie  ; 
And,  forward !  is  the  order  now, 

And  in  the  bloody  strife, 
Five  thousand  rebels  bite  the  dust ; 

Here,  on  his  visit  brief 
Tecumseh  came  and  went,  then  Grant 

Turned  over  his  last  leaf. 

i  March  24, 1865. 


CHAPTER   LI. 

PHIL  from  his  raid  comes  up  to  Grant 

With  many  a  travel  stain ; l 
"  Now,  Phil,"  says  Grant,  "  your  horses  pant, 

But  you  must  ride  again." 
"  AH  right !"  cries  Phil ;  "  an  hour's  rest 

Will  do  for  my  brave  ranks,  sir." 
"  Then  off,"  says  Grant,  "  and  do  your  best 

To  find  out  Lee's  right  flank,  sir !" 

Phil  gallops,  stretching  to  the  left, 

For  Lee's  hid  flank  he  feels — 
The  rain !  it  rains,  and  in  the  mud 

He  has  to  leave  his  wheels. 
His  horses  flounder — on  they  go, 

Phil  spurs  them  through  the  mire, 
He  nears  Five  Forks,2  he  sees  the  foe, 

He  rideth  into  fire. 

He  fights,  is  driven,  fighting,  back,3 

Defeat  he  won't  confess ; 
The  morrow  o'er  his  last  night's  track 

His  gallant  troopers  press. 


i  March  27th.  «  March  30th. 

3  The  rebels  drive  Devin's  Brigade.    The  cavalry  is  driven  back  to 
Dinwiddee. 

(325) 


326          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Again  the  foe  push  heavily, 

Phil  rather  has  the  worst,1 
It  does  n't  matter,  in  the  end 

He 's  bound  to  come  out  first. 

He  grapples  with  the  saucy  rebs, 

Advances  left  and  right,2 
He  charges  through,  leyond  their  works — 

The  traitors  take  to  flight. 
His  cavalry  dash  o'er  the  road, 

They  seize  and  turn  their  guns,  sir ; 
Dread  fear  of  Phil  the  rebels  goad, 

Demoralized  they  run,  sir. 

Farther  to  right,  along  Grant's  line, 

A  heavy  cannonade 
All  day  rang  out  the  traitor's  knell ; 

And  as  the  shadows  fade 
And  die  before  the  morrow's  sun, 

A  mighty  living  sea 
Rolls  out,  engulphing  as  it  runs 

The  lines  of  General  Lee. 

In  vain  the  drowning  rebels  strive ; 

They  cannot  break  the  wave ; 
They  only  drop  from  its  embrace 

Into  a  traitor's  grave. 
On !  on !  moves  Grant,  and  Phil  rides  back 

On  rebel  flank  and  rear ; 
Till  in  dismay  they  turn  and  flee 

In  pitiable  fear. 

In  Richmond  ('twas  the  Sabbath  day) 
There  was  sufficient  reason 

'  March  81,  at  Boydstown  plank  road.    2  April  1.  Battle  Five  Forks. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.         327 

Why  Jeff  should  go  to  church  and  pray 

For  the  success  of  treason. 
And  there  he  sat,  his  traitor  soul 

As  bare  before  his  God 
As  were  his  victims  bones,  that  lay 

TJnburied  on  the  sod. 

"  Spare  us,  good  Lord !"  ascended  high 

Before  Jehovah's  throne, 
Together  with  the  battle-cry, 

The  soldier's  curse  and  groan. 
"  From  all  sedition  (hear  Jeff's  prayer 

As  he  repeats  it  thus), 
From  all  rebellion,  (doth  God  hear?) 

Good  Lord,  deliver  us ! 

"  To  show  thy  pity  upon  all 

Prisoners  and  captives,  we 
Beseech  thee !"     (Though  the  heavens  fall, 

Doubt  not  Jeff's  piety.) 
"  Hear  us,  good  Lord !"    The  prayer  went  on, 

Devotion  did  increase ; 
Till  from  Jeff's  holy  lips  went  up 

The  cry,  "  Grant  us  Thy  peace !" 

A  bustle  at  the  church  door — then 

A  messenger  from  Lee 
Slips  up  to  Jeff,  (his  fervent  prayer 

Is  answered  speedily) : 
"  The  enemy  have  pierced  my  lines," 

(So  General  Lee  had  stated 
In  his  dispatch) ;  "  Eichmond  must  be 

At  once  evacuated !" 


328          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

Why  doth  King  Jeff  turn  pale,  his  face 

A  look  of  terror  wear  ? 
Each  eye  in  all  that  holy  place 

On  Jefferson  doth  glare. 
What  will  their  king  decide  to  do 

Now,  will  he  die,  or  run  ? 
He  takes  the  train l — 't  is  sad,  't  is  true, 

His  brilliant  reign  is  done ! 

The  engine  screams,  the  rebels  pitch 

Their  archives  on  the  train, 
Jeff  starts  to  find  his  last  great  ditch, 

Ne'er  to  return  again. 
The  people  shriek,  they  wring  their  hands, 

They  curse  Jeff  without  pity. 
The  fleeing  soldiers  burn  their  stores, 

And  set  on  fire  the  city. 

Powder  explodes  and  shells  go  off, 

Fear  takes  the  place  of  wonder ; 
Flames  unresisted  sweep  the  streets, 

The  starving  take  to  plunder ; 
Crime  unrebuked  stalks  through  the  town ; 

Lee's  army  in  retreat, 
All  night  files  out  to  find  King  Jeff — 

All  night  the  tramp  of  feet 

Keeps  time  with  wildly  throbbing  hearts ; 

But,  when  the  morning  came, 
And  Weitzel  brought  the  old  flag  back, 

The  rebel  hearts  grew  tame. 
The  black  troops  marched  in  steadily, 

The  people  never  sneered ; 

1  Leaves  for  Danville  at  8  o'clock,  P.M.,  April  2. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE.  329 

And  Sambo  trampled  out  their  fire, 
And  then,  indeed,  they  cheered. 


I  do  not  know,  I  rather 

The  old  flag  brought  a  calm 
To  Old  Virginia's  troubled  breast, 

And  acted  like  a  balm 
To  broken-hearted  and  oppressed. 

I  know  they  ceased  their  vowing 
About  their  ditch  ;  and  what  was  best, 

The  farmers  set  to  ploughing. 


CHAPTEK   LIT. 

WHEN  Lee  fell  back  before  our  Grant 

He  knew  not  where  to  go ; 
Dim  prospects  of  a  junction  made, 

With  rebel  General  Jo, 
Led  TII'TTI  to  take  the  Danville  road, 

But  swift  disintegration 
Among  his  ranks,  ere  long  revealed 

A  nearer  destination. 

For  restless  Sheridan  struck  out, 

Then  followed  Ord  and  Meade ; 
They  take  the  shorter,  inside  route, 

And  make  the  greater  speed. 
Phil  strides  across  the  track  of  Lee,1 

Lee  sheers  a  little  west, 
Ord  heads  him,  gets  a  heavy  blow,5 

Which  he  returns  with  zest. 

Phil  slashes  at  the  fleeing  foe 

He  cuts  off  quite  a  slice ; 3 
Lee  can't  escape,  for  his  attempt, 

He  pays  a  fearful  price. 
Grant  says,  it  is  in  fact  a  shame, 

It  shall  be  understood, 

1  Jettersville,  March  4.  2  Farmville,  M  arch  6. 

3  Sailor's  Creek,  on  tha  6th,  captures  7,000  prisoners. 

(330) 


THE  NEW    YANKEE  DOODLE.         331 

That  Lee  alone  must  bear  the  blame 
Of  useless  waste  of  blood. 

He  writes  a  note  to  say  this  much ; 

Lee  civilly  replies, 
And  asks  for  terms,  and  they  are  such 

The  rebel  chief  complies ; 
But  not  until  Phil  Sheridan, 

Has  made  a  final  dash,1 
And  brought  a  score  or  so  of  guns, 

Out  of  the  general  crash. 

The  white  flag  comes  across  at  last ; 2 

A  soldier's  heart  is  tender ; 
Grant  does  n't  make  it  very  hard 

For  rebels  to  surrender. 
They  stack  their  guns,  and  stake  their  word, 

(The  terms  we  need  not  bandy,) 
"  They  '11  never  more  strike  (overtly) 

At  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy." 

Tecumseh  he  was  making  haste 

To  execute  his  plan, 
To  slip  his  troops  'twixt  Lee  and  Jo ; 

But  ere  his  march  began, 
He  heard  the  noise  at  Petersburg, 

Knew  Grant  could  manage  Lee  ; 
He  gave  a  little  nervous  shrug 

And  changed  his  strategy. 

He  drives  his  columns  straight  at  Jo,3 

Defying  hostile  rains ; 
Just  here,  comes  word  of  Lee's  last  gasp ; 

Tecumseh  drops  his  trains, 

1  On  the  8th,  at  Appomattox  R.R.   *  April  9.    3  Starts  April  10, 1863. 


332  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  pushes  through  the  deepening  mud ; 

Jo  wades  a  day  ahead ; 
"  I  '11  have  a  brush  with  General  Jo 

To-morrow,"  Sherman  said. 

Tomorrow  brings  a  flag  of  truce,1 

Jo  is  a  man  of  sense — 
He 's  cornered, — "  Will  Tecumseh  please 

Relieve  him  from  suspense." 
And  while  Tecumseh  draws  a  plan, 

Which  Jo  will  not  refuse, 
We  H  see  how  Abe  and  Jonathan 

Received  the  glorious  news. 

'  April  14. 


CHAPTEE   LIII. 

OLD  Abe  was  down  with  General  Grant ; 

He  was  a  happy  man 
"When  he  dispatched,  that  April  day, 

The  news  to  Jonathan. 
The  tidings  flashed  from  wire  to  wire, 

O'er  each,  and  every  route, 
It  set  the  Northern  heart  on  fire, 

And  burned  its  anger  out. 

The  people  laughed  and  cried  for  joy, 

They  all  ran  out  of  doors ; 
They  hung  their  flags  across  the  streets, 

With  cheers,  and  cannon  roars ; 
And  Jonathan,  who  never  did 

Do  anything  by  half, 
Declared  the  time  had  come  for  him 

To  kill  the  fatted  calf. 

And  all  the  neighbors  cried  "  Amen ! " 

And  made  so  great  a  noise, 
In  their  excess  of  joy,  they  drowned 

The  groans  of  Grant's  poor  boys. 
They  grew  so  very  merciful, 

(What  sins  that  virtue  covers) 
They  buried  justice  with  their  dead, 

All  for  their  "  erring  brothers." 

(333) 


334          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  Jonathan  when  he  had  made 

An  end  of  celebrating, 
And  future  plans  and  projects  weighed, 

Said  he,  "  Old  Abe  is  waiting ; 
1 11  take  the  train  this  very  night, 

His  face  I  long  to  see ; 
In  joy  or  grief,  in  dark  or  light, 

I  know  Abe  thinks  of  me." 

But  Betsey  Jane  slipped  up  the  stair, 

"When  Jonathan  had  gone, 
Alone, — for  she  had  treasured  there 

All  (hat  was  left  of  John. 
The  ornament  from  off  his  cap, 

The  metal  letter  C, 
Some  yellow  worsted  stripes,  for  John 

Was  in  the  cavalry. 

She  rubbed  the  little  sabres  bright, 

"  He  said  the  fatted  calf." 
She  groaned  as  on  her  troubled  sight 

There  fell  John's  photograph. 
She  traced  along  the  skeleton 

Where  once  his  young  blood  ran 
In  full  round  veins — she  saw  the  bloom 

Upon  those  cheeks  so  wan. 

"Men  can  forget,"  said  Betsey  Jane, 

"  This  haste  my  heart  benumbs, 
And  God  himself  doth  not  forgive 

Until  repentance  comes." 
She  pressed  her  lips  in  agony, 

Against  the  photograph, 
And  murmured  brokenly  the  words, 

"  Starved  !  starved  !  "  and  "fatted  calf" 


CHAPTEB    LIV. 

WHILE  Jeff  fled  o'er  the  Danville  road 

With  all  his  traitor  crew, 
And  Grant  in  Dixie  smoked,  and  smiled 

At  the  dissolving  view 
Of  treason,  chivalry  and  brag, 

Old  Abe  came  back  to  town ; 
And  Major  A.,  with  his  old  flag, 

To  Suinter  he  sent  down. 

The  very  flag,  four  years  ago, 

The  Major  furled  in  sadness, 
Shall  now  to  South  Carolina  show 

The  fullness  of  her  madness. 
And  when  it  floats  in  purer  air,1 

Whence  treason's  clouds  have  vanished, 
Thank  God,  ye  rebels,  and  take  care 

It  never  more  be  banished. 

Then  Stanton  stopped  the  draft,  and  Abe, 

Who  repossessed  the  forts, 
Eeturned  to  Welles  his  blockade  fleet, 

And  closed  the  Southern  ports. 
And  then  the  people  called  hi™  out, 

(Twas  with  a  serenade,) 

1  The  old  Hag  was  raised  on  the  fort  April  15,  the  day  Mr.  Lincoln 
died. 

(335) 


336          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

And  pelted  him  with  cheer  and  shout, 
Until  a  speech  he  made. 

He  said  "  The  boys  who  did  the  work — 

The  soldiers  and  not  he — 
Must  have  the  credit  and  the  thanks, 

For  hard-earned  victory. 
They  'd  conquered  Jeff  and  rebeldom, 

At  that  they  had  n't  stayed ; 
They  'd  fairly  captured  Diode  tune — 

He  'd  like  to  hear  it  played." 

And  so  the  band  clashed  out  the  air, 

And  then  it  came  so  handy, 
They  could  n't  help  but  change  the  tune 

To  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 
"  Now,  then,"  said  Abe,  "  we  owe  it  all, 

Not  to  the  dead  or  living, 
But  to  Jehovah.    Let  us  call 

In  general  thanksgiving 

"  Upon  His  name,  and  His  alone, 

Who  with  a  mighty  hand 
Has  swept  the  flood  of  treason  back 

From  our  beloved  land. 
God  help  the  mourners  who  have  laid 

Away  their  holy  dead ; 
God  bless  the  dying  and  the  maimed," 

Sad  Abram  Lincoln  said. 


CHAPTER    LV. 

THE  train  that  bore  Old  Jonathan 

Wound  steadily  along ; 
The  pulses  of  the  brave  old  man 

Beat  rapidly  and  strong. 
He  felt  as  he  had  felt  in  youth, 

Long,  long  before  the  war, 
Those  good  old  tunes  come  back ;  in  truth, 

With  his  mind's  eye  he  saw 

When  men  would  talk  of  rusty  guns 

As  he  of  his  flint  locks 
In  dusty  garrets ;  and  their  sons 

Would  gather  fruitful  shocks 
Of  corn  from  Southern  battle-fields, 

Till  war's  last  trace  should  fade, 
In  wonder,  when  some  furrow  yields 

A  rusted  bit  of  blade. 

Time  heals  all  wounds,  thought  Jonathan, — 

Now,  brother  armed  'gainst  brother, — 
Tomorrow,  in  the  wiser  man, 

Will  learn  to  love  each  other. 
And  then  he  thought  of  dear  Old  Abe, 

Tn  times  gone  by  so  sad ; 
"I'll  cheer  him  up,"  said  Jonathan, 

"  And  make  his  old  heart  glad." 

(337) 


338          THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

The  train  lurched  on  ahead,  then  stopped ; 

The  clock  was  just  upon 
The  stroke  of  eight,  as  Jonathan 

Arrived  in  Washington.1 
He  bounded  up  the  Avenue — 

He  could  n't  step  as  fast 
As  his  heart  beat — to  right  or  left 

A  glance  he  hardly  cast 

He  ran  against  a  group  of  men, 

Who  stared  at  his  quick  pace  ; 
He  looked  at  one,  he  slackened  then, 

The  horror  on  the  face 
Struck  like  a  chill :  "  Ah !  I  forgot 

The  dark  side  of  our  joy ; 
This  man  has  heard,  perhaps,  just  now 

About  his  brave  dead  boy." 

A  bit  of  crape  tied  to  a  door 

Just  fluttered  in  the  breeze, 
And  caught  his  eye — "  one  mourner  more  " 

In  that  black  crape  he  sees — 
Another !  all  along  the  street 

Hung  out  the  sign  of  grief ; 
A  flag,  half  mast,  his  gaze  did  meet ; 

Said  Jonathan,  "  some  chief 

"  Has  fall'n  in  this  last  great  blow, 

I  '11  ask  Abe  for  his  name." 
His  step  had  grown,  despite  him,  slow ; 

To  Jonathan  there  came, 
He  knew  not  how,  or  why,  a  weight 

That  crushed  down  all  his  pleasure, 
And  made  his  very  footsteps  keep 

A  melancholy  measure. 

1  April  15.  1S61. 


THE  NEW   YANKEE  DOODLE.          339 

He  turned  up  from  the  avenue  ;' 

The  town  was  very  still ; 
He  caiae  upon  a  silent  throng; 

Almost  against  his  will, 
He  pressed  his  way.     Ah !  now  he  '11  know, 

The  dead  man  hi  his  shroud ; 
His  own,  and  Abe's  beloved  flag, 

Is  carried  through  the  crowd.9 

A  sob !  and  Sambo  at  his  side 

Groaned  out  a  well-known  name ; 
And  Jonathan  with  one  quick  stride 

Up  to  the  bearers  came. 
"  Good  God ! "  the  sight  went  from  his  eyes, 

His  stricken  heart  stood  still. 
He  staggered,  deaf  to  others'  cries, 

He  moved  on  without  will. 

They  bore  on  through  the  White  House  gate 

Old  Jonathan's  best  friend, 
And  left  him  lying  there  in  state  : 

"  Just  God,  is  this  the  end  ?" 
Groaned  Jonathan,  when  he  had  gazed, 

Upon  the  sad,  dead  face ; 
And  mercy,  outraged  in  his  heart, 

To  bitter  wrath  gave  place. 

In  every  house  there  was  one  dead, 

Throughout  the  mighty  nation ; 
And  every  man  bowed  low  his  head 

In  awe  and  desolation. 
Men  pray,  when  smitten  with  the  dart 

Of  unforeseen  affliction ; 

1  Up  10th  Street. 

*  From  the  house  of  Mr.  Peterson,  on  10th  Street,  opposite  Ford'a 
Theatre. 


340  THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE. 

But  from  the  nation's  broken  heart 
Went  up  a  malediction. 

Then  Jonathan  took  up  his  dead, 

The  funeral  procession 
Wound  wearily,  and  weary  sped 

In  mournfullest  succession. 
Day  after  day,  as  through  the  land 

The  sad  train  took  its  way, 
And  Jonathan  to  his  old  home 

Brought  back  the  lifeless  clay.1 

As  Betsey  Jane  looked  on  the  brow, 

And  traced  deep  lines  of  care, 
"  No  traitor's  stab  can  reach  him  now, 

Their  thrusts  we  still  must  bear. 
Because  he  rests,"  said  Betsey  Jane, 

"  I  envy  him  his  lot ; 
The  bullet  of  the  murderer 

Has  reached  the  tired  spot."* 


The  tale  is  told, — King  Jeff  still  lives 

God's  purpose  to  fulfill ; 
And  wanders,  like  that  other  Cain, 

Whom  nobody  should  kill. 
Old  Jonathan  has  been  quite  weak ; 

I  think  it  won't  be  long 
Before  his  mind  again  he  '11  speak, 

In  language  rather  strong. 

"  With  malice  tow'rd  none,"  said  Abraham 
"With  charity  for  all;" 

1  Abraham  Lincoln  was  buried  in  Springfield,  111. 

2  One  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  expressions. 


THE  NEW  YANKEE  DOODLE,          341 

But  oil !  it  comes  into  my  mind 

A  worse  thing  might  befall 
Than  has  as  yet  come  on  the  earth, 

Should  Satan  deem  it  handy 
Again  to  set  his  Judases, 

On  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy. 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERS  :Y  Cv   CALIFORNIA 


HONOR  TO  THE  BEAVE. 


THE  SOLDIER'S  FRIEND 

AND 

GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 


THE  undersigned  offers  to  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors  of 
the  country,  and  to  the  loyal  people  of  the  Union,  a  jour 
nal  devoted  to  the  cause  of  Union,  Harmony,  and  Progress. 
The  interest  and  advancement  of  the  brave  heroes  of  the 
late  war  for  the  Unioii  will  receive  especial  attention  in 
its  columns.  All  matters  of  legislation,  pay,  bounties, 
employment,  measures  for  the  relief  and  benefit  of  the  dis 
abled  veterans  of  the  war,  and  the  families  of  the  deceased, 
will  be  presented  in  its  columns. 

HISTORY. — THE  SOLDIER'S  FRIEND  will  aim  to  col 
lect  all  interesting  facts  and  incidents  relating  to  the  war, 
which  may  be  of  use  as  historical  material. 

FALLEN  HEROES.— One  department  of  the  paper  is 
devoted  to  biographical  sketches  of  fallen  heroes,  who 
have  laid  down  their  lives  on  the  altar  of  the  country. 

PATRIOTIC  FAMILIES.— Under  the  department  of 
"  Patriotic  Families "  a  record  is  kept  of  those  families 
who  gave  four  or  more  members  to  the  service  of  the 
Union. 

PERSONAL  INFORMATION.  —  Large  numbers  of 
men  are  "  missing,"  and  evidence  is  wanted  of  death, 
wounds,  or  other  facts,  to  secure  claims  for  bounty  or  pen 
sions,  for  soldiers,  widows,  or  orphans.  The  importance 
of  having  a  NATIONAL  MEDIUM  for  this  class  of  informa 
tion  cannot  be  over-estimated.  THE  SOLDIER'S  FRIEND 
has  rendered  the  most  important  service,  in  numerous 


cases,  in  obtaining  evidence  which  had  been  sought  in 
vain  in  other  directions. 

THE  FAMILY  CIRCLE.  —  THE  SOLDIER'S  FRIEND 
will  aim  to  be  a  favorite  journal  for  the  family  —  the 
mothers  and  children  at  home,  and  worthy  of  introduc 
tion  to  every  fireside. 

OUR  CONTRIBUTORS.—  We  have  the  privilege  of 
being  able  to  offer  some  guaranty  to  the  public  of  the 
character  of  our  paper,  and  the  approbation  which  it  re 
ceives,  in  the  list  of  eminent  writers  who  have  favored  us 
with  their  contributions  from  time  to  time,  and  who  sym 
pathize  fully  with  the  purposes  of  THE  SOLDIER'S  FRIEND. 
We  present  the  following  list  of  some  of  our  contributors, 
in  the  assurance  that  others  will  be  added,  which  will 
make  this  journal  inferior  to  none  in  the  country  for  its 
value,  originality,  and  character  : 

His  Excellency  REUBEN  E.  FENTON,  Governor  of  New  York. 
Rev.  Henry  W.  BELLOWS,  D.D.,  Pres't  U.  S.  Sanitary  Commission. 

TVlLLIAM    CtJLLEN   BRYANT,  THO8.    S.    ToWNSEND,   Esq., 

Rev.  ALEX.  R.  THOMPSON,  CHABLES  ELIOT  NORTON, 

Col.  CHABLES  C.  NOTT,  JOHN  F.  MINES, 

Mrs.  HENBT  BATLIS,  Brig-Gen.  JOHN  COCHBANE, 

Rev.  THEO.  L.  CITYLEB,  Gen.  J.  GBANT  WILSON, 

Col.  A.  J.  H.  DUGANNE,  Rev.  I.  S.  HARTLEY, 
Rev.  W.  P.  STRICKLAND,  D.D.,    Col.  B.  S.  PABDEE, 

Rev.  CHAS.  W.  DENISON,  Rev.  WM.  DE  Loss  LOVE, 

WM.  Ross  WALLACE,  Brevet-Col.  A.  H.  FENN, 

Rev.  L.  G.  BINGHAM,  Capt.  T.  W.  MEIGHAN, 

--CHARLES  ASTOB  BBISTED,  Prof.  D.  H.  MARTIN, 

GEOBGE  WM.  CUBTIS,  Col.  JAS.  P.  FOSTER, 

ALBERT  MATHEWS,  Mrs.  MARY  C.  VAUGHAN, 

Rev.  E.  PAYSON  ROE,  Dr.  F.  G.  STANLEY, 
Rev.  WM.  ROLLINSON,  U.  S.  A.,    Gen.  DANIEL  ULLMAN, 

MAGGIE  HAMMOND,  Rev.  J.  H.  EDWARDS, 

Rev.  W.  W.  MEECH,  Mrs.  A.  H.  HOGE, 

J.  B.  MEBWIN,  U.  S.  A.,  Dr.  L.  P.  BBOCKETT, 

Rev.  MAUBICE  G.  HANSEN,  Capt.  A.  F.  HILL, 

Rev.  ROBERT  LOWBY,  Miss  ELVIRA  J.  POWERS, 

HENBY  C.  CAREY,  LL.D.,  GEORGE  W.  BUNG  AY. 
JAS.  M.  DALZELL,  116th  O.  Vol., 


One  subscription,  one  year,  Fifty  Cents,  in  advance. 
Postage  prepaid,  Sixty-two  Cents. 

City  Subscribers  in  New  York,  postage  invariably  pre 
paid,  Sixty-two  Cents. 

Liberal  premiums  for  those  who  send  clubs. 

Address  : 

WM.  OLAND  BOUENE, 

Suitor  of  tTie  Soldier's  Stricnd, 
No.  12  CENTRE  ST.,  N.  Y. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


DATE  SENT 


,-/MI< 


n 

AR 


DUE  3  MONTHS  FROM 
DATE  RECEIVED 


rCLA  URL/ 


Form  L9 — 15m-10,'48  (B1039 )  444 


PS 


Trumbull  - 


3100   The  new  Yankee 
T775n  Doodle* 


UCLA-Young  Research  Library 

PS3100  T773n 
yr 


AA    001220975  5 


PS 

3100 
T773n 


